ELLESMERE Town Council has confirmed that they are working with Ellesmere Rural and Shropshire Council to secure funding for the Old Workhouse Cemetery and not Ellesmere Cemetery.

The Advertizer apologises for any previous confusion relating to the story from last week's edition of the paper.

Ellesmere Cemetery is jointly owned by Ellesmere Town Council and Ellesmere Rural Parish Council (ERPC), although the asset is owned 50/50 the financial split for the management of the cemetery is 60/40 with the town council funding the majority.

The council has reiterated there are no funding issues with regards to the financing of Ellesmere Cemetery.

The cemetery is managed by a Cemetery Working Group (CWG) and council clerk Jo Butterworth confirmed that the Old Workhouse Cemetery was the source of the CWG’s concerns.

She said: “The CWG has expressed concerns over the condition of the Old Workhouse Cemetery located not far from Ellesmere Cemetery in Haughton, Ellesmere.

“They feel that the site needs urgent maintenance/clearance to make it a safe and a respectful place of commemoration.

“Members of the CWG from ERPC took the matter to their meeting December 14 and the council decided to write a letter to Shropshire Council to request that maintenance is carried out on the land as a matter or urgency due to the health and safety implications it poses to members of the public that are accessing the site.

“At the last meeting of Ellesmere Town Council their member of the CWG proposed that a letter in support of EPRC’s be written to Shropshire Council in a bid to having the land cleared and made safe.

“Members agree that as this is a heritage site of the town and as such it should be managed and maintained correctly.

“The CWG would ideally, in the future, like the land to be acquired from Shropshire Council for them to look after, however at present the current condition and safety of the land needs addressing urgently.”

The land in question was the graveyard to the north of the old Ellesmere Workhouse site.