Agenda, decisions and minutes

RESOLVED –

That Councillor Kerry be appointed Chair of the Committee for 2016/17.

RESOLVED –

That Councillor Ritchie be appointed Vice-Chair of the Committee for 2016/17.

(Councillor Ritchie then took the Chair.)

No declarations were received.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Bagley, Blank, Diouf, Gordon, Kerry and Huckle.

RESOLVED –

That the Minutes of the Joint Crematorium Committee on 21 March, 2016 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

The Treasurer to the Committee and the Bereavement Services Manager submitted a report on the final accounts of the Joint Committee for the year ended 31March, 2016, including revenue account and balance sheet.

The report noted that at year end there had been a surplus of £262,853 and outlined the areas where there had been variances from the approved budget.

In addition, the report contained a table detailing the schemes that required carry forward requests to 2016/17.

Information was given on six useable reserves shown in the balance sheet:

·        Revenue Reserve

·        Mercury Abatement Reserve

·        Equipment Reserve

·        Organ Reserve

·        Cremator Repairs Reserve

·        Capital Improvement Reserve

Taking into account the redistribution of £200k to the constituent authorities, the current balance remained well above the minimum requirement. As agreed previously, the balance of the Revenue Reserve that was over and above the minimum working balance of £250k would be re-distributed to the constituent authorities. The redistribution would take place at the end of the 2016/17 financial year.

The Committee thanked the Head of Finance for all the work that he had done for the Committee.

RESOLVED –

1)   That the report be noted and the Statement of Accounts be approved.

2)   That the carry forward requests be approved.

3)   That Members acknowledge the extension of the heating improvement scheme to the garage and that the funding of additional expenditure from the unallocated balance in the Capital Improvement Restructure be approved.

To move “That under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act, 1972 the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act” on the grounds that it contains information relating to financial or business affairs.

Part 2 (Non-Public Information)

RESOLVED –

That under Regulation 21 (1)(b) of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements)(Access to Information)(England) Regulations 2000, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined by Paragraphs 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972’ on the grounds that it contains information relating to financial or business affairs.

The Bereavement Services Manager submitted a report on matters relating to the operation of the Crematorium.

Information on cremations for the year, together with a comparison of income for 2014/15 against 2015/16 was provided.

The report included details of the projects that were to be delivered during 2016/17 and a timetable of works was attached to the report, these included:

·        Chapel Refurbishment – Interior decoration, replacement windows, new seating, new floor covering and additional chapel entrance doors

·        Refurbishment of all public toilets

·        New floral tribute area

·        Completion of lighting programme

·        CCTV upgrade

The report updated the Committee on the progress of investigations into new management options for the Crematorium. Legal advice had been sought, the results of which were outlined in the report. The Bereavement Services Manager informed the Committee that a report would be prepared to present to the Cabinets and Executive of the constituent authorities requesting permission to set up a new trading company. It was estimated that the new trading company could be set up by April 2017.

RESOLVED –

1)   That the report be noted.

2)   That Members consider the future management of the service and discuss with their authorities with the support of the Bereavement Services Manager.