The National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) project at West Norwood Cemetery seeks to conserve the Cemetery’s magnificent landscape and built structures, as well as offer new experiences and facilities to increase community use. In April 2023 we reported our concerns on the lack of progress being made and the likely escalating costs.

It is now clear the delays have resulted in increased costs due to inflation in the construction industry. This has placed the completion of the remaining parts of the project in some doubt and pushed the project completion date into the summer 2024. Decisions were taken at the July Implementation Board to hold back some of the capital works and seek some additional funding in order to retrieve the position as far as possible.

The various works under the NLHF project were divided by the Council into a number of works packages, and the remaining works to be completed are:

Package B: Drainage and paths works: we have no further news on the various snagging items we reported.

Package A1: St. Stephens Chapel and 14 monuments:
Further progress has been made on completing the restoration works to 14 monuments; 12 are now completed or almost completed. Unfortunately, difficulties have been encountered in finding a ceramicist to undertake works to the Ibbotson kerb stone. Also, the Dodd mausoleum has been found to be in a much worse and dangerous condition than envisaged, and its restoration is being reassessed. The extensive renovation and conservation works of St. Stephens Chapel in the Greek Enclosure have overrun. The main ceiling has been conserved, but the Council now has permission from the NLHF to undertake a complete repaint so as to ensure the conservation works have longevity. The funding for these additional works has yet to be confirmed. We do not yet have a firm date on the completion of the conservation and conversion works or when the flexible space for events, functions, installations and exhibitions will be open for public use.

Package A2: Visitors Centre, Hubbard Road and Robson Road entrances and boundary wall works:
The Lodge building at the Cemetery gate is to be extended and converted to a Visitors Centre to provide facilities for visitors and volunteers to learn about and enjoy the cemetery's rich heritage and environment. The picture below shows the portacabin to house Cemetery staff during the works being craned into position. The Hubbard Road entrance (closed since the 1920’s) is to be reopened, and a new entrance installed on Robson Road (at the north-eastern corner of the Cemetery, adjacent to the Parkhall Business Centre). Repairs and conservation works are due to be undertaken to some of the boundary walls, railings and gates.

As previously reported, the letting of this large package of works has been delayed extensively throughout 2022, and no works at all undertaken on the ground. The tender was eventually advertised with a return date of Christmas 2022. The successful tender was vastly over budget. The Council’s response has been to strip out some of the intended works, including the new boundary wall and railings between the Visitors Centre and adjacent Library & Picturehouse, landscaping works at the Cemetery entrance and a new walled garden at the Visitors Centre and the Robson Road entrance.

The Robson Road entrance however is to be made subject to a further grant application to the NLHF with a view to it being added back into the package of works during September 2023. Given the importance to the local community of this new entrance, its key role in supporting the future use of St. Stephen’s Chapel, and the clear risks with the adopted approach, we have asked the Council to make a public statement on the position. 

The officers state that the works now stripped out will be included in a later NLHF phase II bid; in our view this proposed lottery bid should be subject to discussion at the Implementation Board and public consultation. You can read the detail about these decisions here on the Council website. 

An integral part of the NLHF project is the Conservation Plan, which forms part of the Land Management Strategy to meet the provisions of the 1996 Scheme of Management for the Cemetery. We have no news either on when officers will report to the Implementation Board with a proposed grounds management and maintenance plan.

Lastly, we highlight again the wide range of events being held in the Cemetery all the time. You can find out more about the project and ongoing events on the NLHF project website ‘West Norwood Cemetery: A New Beginning’ and through social media. 

Regular talks and walks are also held by the Friends of West Norwood Cemetery, including the monthly guided walk of some of the highlights.