Agenda item

Councillor Chris Ryder, Chair of the Cemetery and Crematorium Scrutiny Task Group will be presenting the report to Cabinet

The Leader of the Council invited the Chair of the Scrutiny Task Group to address Cabinet. The Chair of the Scrutiny Task Group, Councillor Chris Ryder, introduced the report and explained that whilst there were 8 formal recommendations there were in fact 22 recommendations contained within the report. She wished to put on record her thanks to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, the former Cabinet Member Sustainability and in particular the Task Group for their work in trying to address what was an important issue for families in the town. She urged the recently appointed Cabinet Member Clean and Green Environment to work more closely with the manager at the crematorium and to identify and resolve issues more promptly than had been done in the past.

The Cabinet Member Clean and Green Environment thanked the members of the Scrutiny Task Group for their detailed report and the guidance going forward. He reported that since taking up office a problem developed with the flue of one of the two cremators, which if not dealt with promptly would have become a safety issue. Expert opinion was therefore sought and it was decided to run just one cremator. A decision was made that there would be a two week closure to deal with the problem on 14 July. The Cabinet Member highlighted that a meeting had been held last week with funeral directors to keep them informed and BBC Gloucestershire and the Echo had been informed of the planned closure. He had every confidence in the team of officers at the crematorium and thanked them for their commitment. He assured the scrutiny task group that he would be working very closely with them to achieve the right result.

In terms of the future the Cabinet Member highlighted that there would need to be a sustainable plan for the future development of the crematorium and an options appraisals would be drawn up. He intended to be fully open with Members, officers and funeral directors and would take advice where necessary. At the current time he deemed it inappropriate to ask officers to respond to the task group report but intended to bring a full written report to Cabinet in September. Given the level of expertise which Members of the Scrutiny Task Group had gained he suggested that a Cabinet Member working group be established to make the best use of this expertise.

The Chair of the Scrutiny Task Group explained that the STG had met on one occasion recently and would be keeping a watching brief on progress. She welcomed the ongoing involvement of the STG members and requested that a replacement for Barbara Driver be sought.

In terms of the issue with the flue, she asked who would be project managing the issue as this had not always been apparent in the past. In response the Cabinet Member said there were changes in the property team but he would confirm the name of the project management lead to her.

The Chair of the STG expressed her concern with regard to the abatement issue and the cost involved. In response the Leader said that a long term solution to the service as a whole was being sought and abatement was a key part of this.

Members welcomed the STG report and supported the proposal to undertake a wide ranging options appraisal of the service. Investment was vital to deliver this valuable service in the borough.

The Leader wished to record his thanks to all who had been involved.

RESOLVED

1.      To note the recommendations as laid down in the report

2.      That a report responding to the recommendations be brought to Cabinet in September 2014.