Brackley family calls for council to show ‘compassion' and reverse decision over daughter’s grave
A family who sadly lost their seven-year-old daughter have launched a petition calling for Brackley Town Council to reverse its decision to ban decorations on graves and scrap plans to reduce the size of grave plots for children.
Jason and Gemma Sadler launched an online petition following the council’s vote to reduce the size of children’s plots this month.
The family buried seven-year-old Lottie in an adult plot at the council-run Halse Road Cemetery last year in the hopes they would share the plot when they passed away.
They decorated the grave with lights, flowers and toys and hoped it could be a place where they could be close to Lottie, remember her and celebrate her life.
However, shortly after Lottie’s funeral, they received a letter from the council, requesting decorations be removed from the grave immediately and only placed by the headstone.
A petition calling for the council to reverse its decision at the time received over 4,500 signatures.
One year after sending the letter to Jason and Gemma, at a meeting on January 12, the council formally voted to reduce children’s grave plots from 6ft to 60cm if buried in the adult section.
Close friend to the Sadler family, Sophie Wharton, said: “This decision has caused significant distress to the family, who made their original arrangements with the clear intention of remaining together.
“The reduction of the grave size undermines that intention and has compounded an already painful situation. The family is seeking compassion, understanding, and a reconsideration of this decision.”
Sophie says that Jason and Gemma were not told there were different rules for children’s grave plots when Lottie passed away and live in fear that the decorations will be removed.
She added: “Lottie was just seven years old, and her parents were going through deep trauma and were not told by Brackley Town Council that there would be any restrictions on decorating her grave.
“This has caused deep trauma and limbo for the last 12 months, and inconsistencies from the council have exacerbated an already unbearable time of grief. There has been a lack of clarity and consistency for a grieving family, with no sensitive discussion of what a child’s grave in an adult plot would entail.”
The council cited maintenance costs as the primary reason for reducing the plot sizes and banning decorations.
Brackley Town Council has declined to comment.
To sign the petition, visit: https://www.change.org/p/stop-brackley-council-from-removing-grave-decorations