Fife Council is asking bereaved parents who did not receive their babies’ ashes, to help them create a fitting memorial.
Scores of families across Fife have claimed compensation from the local authority after being wrongly told their babies were too small for their remains to be recovered.
Staff at crematoria in Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy disposed of the ashes, leading to a wide-ranging investigation which prompted a public apology from Fife Council.
Fife Council pledged to work with families to create a suitable memorial, although a public consultation which began earlier this year was put on hold due to Covid-19.
Wait for Fife memorial to baby son is making bereaved Fife mother ‘fall apart’
The local authority is now seeking views through a series of meetings and an online questionnaire.
Alan Paul, senior manager, said: “We had held a couple of meetings before the country went into lockdown and a few families were able to share their thoughts and ideas.
“Some people, however, may not want or feel able to take part in a public meeting and we’d still like them to let us know what they think through our online consultation.
“We are very aware that everyone deals with grief differently and individual families will have different views on what kind of memorial they would want to see in Fife.
“It is important to us that we get the views of as many people as possible so we can make sure all the families feel it is for them.
“Finally, I’d like to apologise once again for the hurt and anguish caused by the way our crematoria used to operate.”
Anyone who would like to contribute to the consultation can complete the questionnaire via https://www.fife.gov.uk/babymemorialconsultation, while anyone with any queries can get in touch by emailing babies.memorial@fife.gov.uk.
Campaigners estimate more than 450 families across Scotland were affected by the baby ashes scandal, with Fife Council following the likes of Edinburgh and Glasgow in offering up to £4,000 compensation to affected families.
