Agenda item

To consider a joint report by the Works Unit and Streetscene Manager and Streetscene Manager (North) (copy attached) which informs members on the residual capacity within the council’s cemeteries, and it outlines the risk areas with regards to future burial capacity.   The report also seeks members’ views on proposed cemeteries fee increase, and outlines the current maintenance regime (and management policies) for all council controlled cemeteries.

11.20am – 12pm

The Lead Member for Housing, Regulation and Environment introduced the joint report (previously circulated) by the Works Unit and Streetscene Manager and the Streetscene Manager (North) which updated members on management matters relating to County Council owned cemeteries, including residual cemetery capacity across the county and potential risk areas with regards to future burial capacity.  He explained further that the report and associated appendices sought the Committee’s views on a proposed increase in burial fees at county-owned cemeteries, whether a task and finish group should be established to consider future capacity in the cemeteries, and also outlined the current maintenance regime and management policies for the cemeteries.  The Lead Member advised that currently Denbighshire charged the lowest burial fees in North Wales, hence the reason for proposing a 5% increase in the fees.  Even if the 5% increase was approved Denbighshire would still be one of the authorities which charged the lowest burial fees in the region.

The Head of Highways and Environmental Services drew members’ attention to Appendix 5 of the report which contained the results of a feasibility study undertaken in 2004 by a Scrutiny Task and Finish Group on a proposal to develop a new cemetery for Rhyl.  The feasibility study had been undertaken at that time due to the limited number of new plots available at the town’s cemetery.  However, due to the costs associated with developing a new cemetery the recommendation had been not to proceed with the proposal.  Since then the town’s cemetery had been closed to new burials.  The remainder of the Council-owned cemeteries across the county had capacity at present to accommodate new burials.  Burial capacity ranged between in excess of 1,000 plots at Coed Bell, Prestatyn to 55 at Llanrhydd, Ruthin.

Responding to members questions the Lead Member, Head of Service and officers:

·         advised that the burial fees outlined in Appendix 2 to the report were the fees charged on Denbighshire residents.  Burial of non-Denbighshire residents were permitted in the county’s cemeteries, however the fees charged were doubled for non-residents.  Nevertheless, individuals and families were willing to pay the additional cost;

·         confirmed that the Council did not have sufficient capacity to undertake the ground maintenance work at the county’s lawn cemeteries, hence the reason it was contracted out to an external contractor.  There was currently a short-term contract with an external contractor for grounds maintenance for the cemeteries in place for the current year.  Officers were presently exploring the possibility of incorporating the cemeteries ground maintenance contract with that for the highways verge grass cutting contract from March 2019;

·         acknowledged some members’ desire to have the grounds maintenance work undertaken in-house.  However the Council did not at present have the capacity to undertake this work, and in the current public services financial climate it was unlikely to be in a position to undertake this work in-house for the foreseeable future, unless revenue funding was diverted to the Service from ‘frontline’ services;

·         confirmed that the current ground maintenance contract specification did stipulate the standard of cutting required, the need to clear excess cuttings, liabilities for damage to headstones etc. All aspects contained in the contract specification were regularly monitored as part of the Council’s contract monitoring process;

·         advised that the Council’s Cemetery Regulations contained details of the regulations and specifications in relation to memorials permitted at Council-owned cemeteries.  This stipulated that no tributes or adornments were permitted lower down on the grave than the base of the headstone and that solar lights were not permitted in cemeteries.  Families were made aware of these rules when purchasing a burial plot and informed that if adornments etc. were placed on a grave that the Council would remove them and keep them for families to arrange to collect them.  Nevertheless, an appropriate period of ‘time for grieving’ was permitted following internment prior to the removal of any tributes and adornments.  Officers were instructed to consistently enforce the policy across the county as applying discretion had the potential to undermine the policy;

·         confirmed that memorial plaques on benches etc. within the County’s cemeteries now had to conform to a standard specification;

·         reaffirmed that due to health and safety responsibilities the Council could not permit external contractors or undertakers to open new graves or re-open existing ones.  The Council did permit Saturday burials in its cemeteries if staff were available and willing to work overtime to accommodate them.  The additional staffing costs were then reflected in the fees charged for the burial.  However, the request for Saturday burials was low, fewer than 10 per year, therefore it was not viable to change the terms and conditions of employment of staff to include working on Saturdays in order to meet the demand;

·         confirmed that, due to the costs involved with any such scheme, no further work had been undertaken following the 2004 feasibility study on developing new cemeteries in the county;

·         advised that recent UK wide surveys indicated that approximately 58% of people expressed a preference for cremation rather than burial;

·         confirmed that whilst a 5% increase in burial fees did seem high Denbighshire would still have one of the lowest charges for burials in North Wales.  If this increase was supported it would then be advisable to increase the fees by a far lower percentage rate on an annual basis in order to keep a pace with other authorities; and

·         confirmed that no exclusive rights of burial deeds for plots within the Council’s cemeteries could now be purchased in advance, and that once an exclusive rights of burial deed had been purchased no further maintenance charges etc. were levied for that plot

Reference was made by a member to the City of London’s policy of permitting the re-lease of graves, where the current lease has extinguished, for the purpose of new burials on condition that any memorials on the grave were completely renovated with the original headstone turned around to leave the original inscription on the reverse and the new inscription being engraved on the front.  Members enquired on whether this would be a long-term solution to the lack of capacity in some of Denbighshire’s cemeteries.  Officers undertook to make enquiries regarding this suggestion, and on the length of time exclusive rights of burial were granted on Denbighshire graves.  They also undertook to confirm whether a sign at one of the county’s cemeteries stating that ‘no solar lights permitted’ was insensitive and to provide information on whether the cost of exclusive burials right and other burial fees covered the running and maintenance costs of the county’s cemeteries in the long-term.

The Committee was firmly of the view that, based on the capacity available in council-run cemeteries which were within reasonable travelling distance for relatives, and the costs involved with establishing new cemeteries, there was not a need to establish a Scrutiny Task and Finish Group to consider the issue of future cemetery capacity in the county.  The Head of Highways and Environmental Services agreed that officers would attend the Elwy Member Area Group and the Rhyl Member Area Group to discuss the challenges and potential solutions. 

At the conclusion of the discussion the Committee:

Resolved: - subject to the above observations

(i)           that there was not a need to establish a Scrutiny Task and Finish Group to consider the issue of future capacity in Council cemeteries;

(ii)          to support the existing policies relating to the management of the council’s cemeteries; and

(iii)         to support the proposals to increase burial fees to bring Denbighshire fees in line with neighbouring authorities

Councillor Glenn Swingler requested that it be recorded that he voted against the above recommendation.