Anger as fallen tree branches left in Branksome Cemetery

The man, who wished to remain anonymous, says the conditions at Branksome Cemetery represent a “clear and present danger” to mourners after witnessing several tree branches break off decaying trees and land on graves.

After burying his father in Branksome in the early 1970s, the Poole-born resident has been a regular visitor to the grounds and says the decline in upkeep coincided with the council unification in 2019.

He said: “The lack of care and regular maintenance over the years by BCP Council has created a situation whereby parts of the cemetery now represent a clear and present danger to visiting members of the public and by any measure fails under the health and safety laws.

• Read more: Poole resident appalled by Branksome cemetery

“It used to be stunningly beautiful, like a carpet almost.

“But some three months ago, a large branch fell from a dead standing tree and smashed into a number of graves. Also, a conifer hedge adjacent to Good Road has lost a number of stems which have also fallen on adjacent graves. Three months on and the fallen branches have still not been removed and no maintenance undertaken despite numerous communications from me. That to me is an absolute disgrace.”

The resident says he warned the council prior to this that the decaying tree branches were in danger of falling, but feels he was not listened to. However the council say they were not aware of any such issues.

Fallen tree branches on graves at Branksome Cemetery in Poole

He added: “My experience in dealing with staff at BCP is that they are dismissive and have little empathy.

“It’s a place of rest, hallowed ground and it should be treated with deference.”

The resident, who now lives in north Dorset, also wanted to know who would be liable if the fallen branches had landed on someone visiting a loved one.

Councillor Mark Anderson, portfolio holder for environment and place said: “We are not aware of any issues with falling branches/trees or damage to memorials in cemeteries across BCP with exception to the recent storm damage of Storm Arwen and Storm Barra at the end of last year. Our teams in highways and Parks and Grounds maintenance teams did a fantastic job proactively working together to ensure trees and branches that fell across the whole conurbation were cleared up quickly.

“Our teams continue to work hard on regular and routine tree maintenance across the four cemeteries in Poole, including Branksome.

“If a report of concern is raised, it would be looked into as a matter of priority. I’d be happy to visit Branksome Cemetery with the resident who has raised the concern to view and rectify.”

The resident concluded: “I care about the place. My dad is still a very important part of my life and we just want it to be better maintained, that’s all we’re asking for.”