In recent years officers have witnessed people driving on graves and nearly hitting pedestrians within the cemetery grounds. Therefore, to address these concerns, the Council is going to prevent all vehicles from entering the cemetery except those in a funeral cortege and any service vehicles. This is also to ensure the roads remain in a good condition.  

Vehicles have also damaged the paths within the cemetery. Therefore, the Council is also looking to improve the roads and paths, filling any potholes and laying new tarmac to make it safer and easier for visitors, especially those who are disabled.  

There is parking right outside the cemetery on Salterbeck Road which provides two-hours parking for users. This will be enforced by the Council's parking services team.    

The closure is scheduled to happen on 29 May 2018. The gates for pedestrians will remain open, as will the public right of pedestrian access through the site.  

Michael Heaslip, Executive Member with responsibility for bereavement services, said: "The safety of all visitors to the cemetery is of paramount importance, as is the need to respect the graves of the deceased, and this is why we've made the decision to stop visitors driving inside the cemetery. This is not unusual and is the case in other cemeteries in the area. We'll obviously monitor the situation to see how it works. It is great that we are able to improve the roads and paths at Salterbeck cemetery which really do need some attention"