Middlewich cemetery. A LEGAL battle could be needed to resolve which party should have control over Middlewich Cemetery. Middlewich Town Council believes Middlewich Cemetery Board is acting without authority and wants to take back control of the site – having been unable to find a constitution proving the legal basis on which the board is able to run following a lengthy investigation by clerk Lisa Benskin. Now, the chairman of Middlewich Cemetery Board has written to Ms Benskin in response, insisting the two parties have always existed independently and calling for an agreement to be reached. In the letter, Simon McGrory said: “It suits no one or no purpose to engage in anything other than sensible discussion in private between both parties.
Town councillors believe Middlewich Cemetery should come under its control MIDDLEWICH Town Council believes the organisation running the town’s cemetery is doing so without legal authority. Lisa Benskin, town clerk, told councillors last week that she had checked 76,000 emails and hundreds of council minutes without being able to find a document proving any legal basis for Middlewich Cemetery Board to operate as an independent body. Members agreed that the council should write to the Middlewich Cemetery Board, asking it to hand control over to the council. Ms Benskin launched an investigation into the legal status of the cemetery last year, and discussed it with the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM) and the National Association of Local Councils (NALC).