Simon Jupp, MP for East Devon writes for this title.

Everyone has experienced the loss of a loved one. A few years ago, I lost one of my best friends. She was taken from us far too young, in very cruel circumstances. I used to live near her grave, and she’s never far from my mind.

We all cope with grief differently. Some visit the graves of loved ones regularly, tending to the plot and leaving flowers come rain, wind, and sunshine. It’s a very personal moment of reflection which brings back memories, a sense of loss but also gratitude they were part of our lives.

I live just a few minutes walk from Sidmouth Cemetery, and last Saturday I went along to a meeting being organised by the Vision Group for Sidmouth. Over 30 people attended, despite the bitter cold, to have their say on the current state of the cemetery.

Many residents were clearly angry and upset. I’ve seen complaints on social media from visitors saying they couldn’t find their loved ones final resting place because the site is so overgrown.

Sidmouth Cemetery is currently designated as a nature recovery site, which is laudable if managed correctly. Sadly, it isn’t. I understand our wonderful Streetscene team were instructed to stop cutting at the site last year, which has left the cemetery feeling abandoned, as one local resident put it succinctly on Saturday.

Nature recovery or rewilding has its place, and we have several sites locally where it’s brought new beauty and wildlife to the area. Personally, I don’t feel cemeteries are an appropriate place for this policy. I hope East Devon District Council will listen to the views clearly expressed by residents on Saturday and review how they look after their cemeteries in Sidmouth, Sidbury and Seaton.

The Vision Group are working to setup a volunteer group called Cherishing Sidmouth Cemeteries to help manage the site. If you’d like to help, you can contact them via their website – www.visionforsidmouth.org. I’d hope this wasn’t needed, but unless the council change their mind, it is the best way forward to stop the cemetery looking it’s been abandoned.