WORK to extend Northallerton cemetery and check for unsafe headstones is set to go ahead.

Both schemes have been at the centre of controversy for months.

But on Tuesday, Northallerton and Romanby Joint Burial Committee spelled out details of when work would start and what would be involved.

The memorials audit will get under way next week, with the extension project pencilled in for a May start. The move marks the end of weeks of often acrimonious debate involving decisions made by the previous joint burial committee, which has four town councillors each from Northallerton and Romanby.

The line-up changed after last May's local elections and previous officials challenged higher extension estimates suggested by the new committee. An earlier figure of around £70,000 was revised upwards by "about 400pc".

The immediate past chairman and vice-chairman, John Pelter and Jack Dobson, also claimed the committee was not keeping the public properly informed about a rise in burial fees. A remark made by chairman Tony Hall on local radio sparked anger, and in a bid to defuse the situation, he called on concerned residents to attend a recent meeting of the committee.

This week, Coun Hall said the extension would proceed with a financial limit. The committee had asked consultants Mouchel to look at the scheme again bearing that limit in mind.

The price had been influenced by a short timescale, with the work having to be completed in ten weeks, he said.

"We have suggested to Mouchel that this need not be a condition," he said. "We would rather they talk to previous tenderers and Mouchel has taken that on board and will see what effect there is on price and come back with a report.

"We can't do anything until April 1 and they would want to finish the work by September."

English Heritage will be on site at the start of work for archaeological purposes.

Regarding allotment holders at the site, Coun Hall said once the cemetery was extended, they would be able to have some land back. Some complained they had missed years of gardening, so a meeting was held to iron out problems. Coun Paul Law said the meeting was friendly.

"We agreed to make available two plots of land for a limited period - say ten years on a renewable basis," he said. "But it was made clear that eventually we will need that land for burials."

Coun John Prest was concerned the allotments should be properly screened. Coun Hall said this could be written into the contract.

Work is likely to start at the beginning of May

The committee's insurer, Zurich Municipal, is to inspect 1,038 headstones in the new part of the cemetery. This follows a health and safety issue after a boy was involved in an accident with an unstable headstone in Harrogate.

"The insurer says we should inform the public via newspapers and a week before the work put up signs in the cemetery that the audit is taking place," said Coun Hall. He said the work was being done at the end of next week.

It was agreed that burial fees would in future go up at the discretion of the committee, not necessarily by the 5pc mentioned in previous reports.