Council looks to close cemeteries earlier to stop anti-social behaviour
Wellingborough graveyards could be closed earlier to stop drug dealing
Last updated 26th Sep 2025
Residents in Wellingborough could be subject to earlier closing times at council-managed cemeteries, as the authority has proposed harmonising regulations across all of its 13 sites.
There are currently different regulations across the cemeteries, depending on postcode. North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) said that the “disjointed mix of requirements and permissions” has been confusing to users in the past.
The cemeteries it takes charge of in its major towns include Shire Lodge and Rockingham Road in Corby, Rothwell Road and London Road in Kettering, and Doddington Road in Wellingborough. It is also responsible for sites in Burton Latimer, Broughton, Cransley, Pytchley, Rothwell, Desborough, Finedon, and Wollaston.
Cemeteries in Rushden and East Northants are managed by town and parish councils.
Currently, the opening and closing times for Wellingborough area cemeteries, which include Finedon and Wollaston, are slightly different to those in Corby and Kettering.
These are set as 8am to 8pm between April and September and 8am to 5pm between October and March. Opening times are also pushed back by one hour to 9am on public and bank holidays all year round.
The new hours that have been put forward would be 8am to 7.30pm in the summer months and 8am to 4.30pm over autumn and winter, which are already successfully operated at all of NNC’s other cemeteries. Bank holidays would also no longer affect these times.
The Council explained that these changes would increase the safety of visitors and the memorials and discourage anti-social behaviour, as cemeteries will close at dusk, as well as getting better value for money from future contracts, as all 13 sites will be uniform.
The changes were debated at a place and environment scrutiny committee on Tuesday, September 23, taking into account a council consultation that received 144 responses.
The Head of Trading Standards and Bereavement Services, Samantha Diamond, told members: “The anti-social behaviour aspect is historic and it’s featured across three main cemeteries of Doddington Road, Shire Lodge and Warren Hill.
“We’ve had a mix of anti-social behaviour, drug taking, people just making a lot of noise and families being concerned about their memorials.
“It is difficult to balance securing the sites with people’s ability to visit their loved ones, but we do open cemeteries 365 days a year. We’re trying to accommodate what’s best for the majority of the community.”
Other rules would also bring in line the standard size of gravestones and memorials, what temporary tributes are allowed, and the behaviour of visitors and what is deemed as a ‘nuisance’. This will not affect memorials already in place.
The proposed cemetery changes were noted by the committee. The NNC Executive will make a final decision on the harmonised rules at its November meeting.