CARS will never be allowed back into Marlow Town Cemetery after risk assessors carried a series of tests and decided motor vehicles posed too much of a threat to pedestrians.

The news will anger the disabled and elderly, many of whom have been left unable to visit loved one's gravesides since the ban was introduced last September following two near misses.

The ban caused such a furore that Marlow Town Council, which owns the cemetery, brought in a risk assessor to try and find a solution.

But after carefully studying the site the risk assessors from Wycombe District Council advised the town council to keep the ban in place and put up bollards at the entrance.

The town council is trying to come up with other possible solutions including improving the access at Sandygate Road, building a small car park, resurfacing part of the walkway to improve access for the disabled and even providing wheelchairs on the site.

The news was announced at a Marlow Town Council meeting on Tuesday night.

Cllr Ivor Coleman said: "I think we have to tarmac and level the lot. I would also like to see us put wheelchairs up there for people to use."

But clerk Howard Bellairs said the cost of resurfacing the whole area would be in the region of £200,000 money which the council don't have.

Cllr Frank Sweatman warned that if work was undertaken it could result in a loss of space and may even mean moving some graves.

He added: "We should stand by our decision to ban vehicles and do what we can within out limited budget to improve the situation for disabled people wishing to visit."

The town council could end up being prosecuted if someone was injured or killed in an accident. Councillors voted unanimously for the ban which doesn't include hearses, accompanying limousines, service vehicles and battery-powered vehicles for the disabled.

February 14, 2002 13:38