A councillor has accused a developer of showing “no respect whatsoever” after works were carried out close to graves at Patna Cemetery.
Councillor Drew Filson said he had received “lots of complaints from Patna families” after excavation work took place near the cemetery boundary.
Housing site adjacent to cemetery
He raised the issue during discussion of East Ayrshire Council’s updated Local Development Plan 2 Delivery Programme, which includes housing sites in Patna.
The council report lists several housing allocations in the village, including sites at Ayr Road, Carskeoch Caravan Site, Cemetery Road and Main Street.
For the Cemetery Road site, the delivery programme states that previous permission had lapsed, although another application was later approved in February 2025.
Families forced to wash graves
Cllr Filson said families had contacted him after excavation work was carried out close to graves, which are located right up to the boundary of the site.
He said: “I’ve had lots of complaints from Patna families. And rightly so.
“There has been no respect shown by the developer whatsoever.
“How anyone could excavate so close to graves is just unbelievable.”
Cllr Filson said he believed planning applications close to cemeteries should come before the council’s planning committee because of their sensitivity. Permission was granted by planning officers under delegated powers, but Cllr Filson said that the location, beside both the cemetery and war memorial, should have seen the application come before the planning committee.
Site meeting and dust protection
The councillor said he went to the site after receiving complaints. He said: “When I heard what was happening during a holiday weekend, I went down straight away and told the men on site to stop straight away.”
Cllr Filson said a site meeting was then arranged through East Ayrshire Council enforcement officers. He said two planning enforcement officers attended, along with officers from environmental health, building standards and cemeteries.
According to Cllr Filson, dry conditions meant dust from the site was blowing onto graves, leaving families having to wash them down.
He said: “With the dry conditions at the time the dust from the site was blowing through onto the graves and families were having to wash the graves down.
“This was why I asked the developer at the site meeting to erect some protection.”
Cllr Filson said an environmental health officer advised that Heras fencing with netting should be put up to catch dust and stop it landing on gravestones.
He said the developer agreed in front of those present that the protection would be installed straight away, but claimed it still had not been done.
He added: “Developer agreed in front of everyone, that he would do it straight away — [we are] still waiting.”
Weeds and next steps
The councillor said the latest issue was weeds growing through the fence from the site towards the cemetery. He said the developer had also been asked to take action on the weeds, and that the developer had said it would be done this week.
Cllr Filson said: “Still waiting. If it’s not cut by the end of the week I’ll cut it myself. Families have waited long enough.
“He’s shown no respect whatsoever.”
During the Cabinet discussion, Cllr Filson described soil being taken “right up to the back of the graves” at the cemetery boundary and called the situation “absolutely shocking”.
The housing developer, Eco Homes Ayrshire, has been contacted for comment.
