Agenda item

Further to Minute No. 18 of the meeting of the Improving Places Select Commission held on 14th September, 2016, consideration was given to a report presented by the Assistant Director – Community Safety and Street Scene, stating that on 1st August, 2008, the Council had entered into a 35 years’ contractual agreement with Dignity Funerals Ltd. for the provision of bereavement services to the people of Rotherham. This unique partnership led to the transfer of significant risks from the Council to Dignity Funerals Ltd., with the Company taking on the responsibility for the capital works and maintenance of the East Herringthorpe Cemetery and Crematorium, together with the maintenance of the eight other Municipal Cemeteries located throughout the Rotherham Borough area.  The Council retained the risk in relation to cemetery chapels, associated buildings and boundary walls on some cemetery sites.  Dignity Funerals Ltd. had sub-contracted the grounds maintenance elements of the service to Glendale Countryside Management Ltd (but Dignity Funerals Ltd. had retained the overall responsibility for the delivery of the service).  The following salient issues were highlighted:-

-          the 35 years’ contract produces annual incomes for the Council, with the amounts being linked to inflation;

-          the requirement for crematoria to comply with mercury abatement legislation and new environmental legislation;

-          improvements to the East Herringthorpe crematorium facility; proposed extension to the car park;

-          possible availability of land for extensions to the existing municipal cemeteries around the Borough area;

-          ensuring that progress reports are available about the cemeteries and crematorium service and that an annual report is provided by the Dignity Funerals Limited company;

-          hours of opening of the facilities and the time available for burials (a review of this issues is continuing, including the specific requirements of Muslim burials);

-          use of kerb sets and borders around grave spaces, which are not always suitable for cemeteries designed and operating as lawn cemeteries (eg; Greasbrough Lane at Rawmarsh);

-          the Dignity Funerals Ltd. company establishes its own level of service pricing, which are lower in comparison to other local authorities regionally; further bench-marking would be undertake in respect of this issue;

-          the cost of memorial benches and the availability of benches made from different materials; the review of pricing of such benches.

The Members of the Select Commission raised the following issues during debate:-

(a) the significant investment which Dignity Funerals Ltd. have made in the Est Herringthorpe Crematorium and the possible investment elsewhere in the other cemeteries around the Rotherham Borough area;

(b) Cemetery Chapels – the costs to the Borough Council of the continuing and future maintenance of these Victorian Chapels and whether the establishment of ‘friends’ groups would be feasible;

(c) the benefits of establishing a Bereavement Services Forum involving representatives of the Local Authority, Dignity Funerals Ltd., funeral directors and the local clergy;

(d) dog fouling in cemeteries and the use of Environmental Enforcement and Penalty Notices;

(e) the balcony area at the East Herringthorpe Crematorium and the need for structural repairs;

(f) the costs of maintenance of closed cemeteries which have no available space for further burials;

(g) improvements to footpaths and roadways within cemeteries – further details will be reported at a future meeting;

(h) further monitoring of the performance of Glendale Countryside Management Ltd., in respect of grounds maintenance at the Maltby cemetery;

(i) details were required of the timescale for the repair of the boundary wall at the Greasbrough Lane cemetery at Rawmarsh.

Resolved:- (1) That the report be received and its contents noted.

(2) That a further progress report be submitted to a future meeting of the Improving Places Select Commission, such report to include the following information relating to the cemeteries and crematorium service:-

- monitoring of the performance of Glendale Countryside Management Ltd., in respect of grounds maintenance at the Maltby cemetery;

- the various options available in respect of the provision of memorial benches within cemeteries (including a pricing structure);

- the fees and charges for the cemeteries and crematorium service – benchmarking and comparison against other local authorities, both regionally and similar local authorities throughout the country;

- further consideration of the opening hours of cemeteries and crematorium and the hours available for burials (including the requirements in respect of Muslim burials);

- an update in respect of the availability of land for a possible extension to the Maltby cemetery.