Agenda, decisions and minutes

Councillor Alan Powell was appointed Chair of the Chesterfield and District Joint Crematorium Committee for 2022/23.

 (Councillor Powell then took the Chair.)

Councillor Dooley was appointed Vice-Chair of the Chesterfield and District Joint Crematorium Committee for 2022/23.

Councillor Dooley and Councillor Watson declared an interest in this item as they had prior involvement in discussions regarding the development of a new crematorium by Bolsover District Council.

An apology from absence was received from Ian Waller.

RESOLVED –

That the Minutes of the Chesterfield and District Joint Crematorium Committee on 21 March, 2022 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

The Senior Accounting Technician and the Bereavement Services Manager submitted a report on the final accounts of the Chesterfield and District Joint Crematorium Committee for the year ended 31 March, 2022, including the Revenue Account and Balance Sheet.

The report noted that at year end there had been a net surplus of £768,775 and outlined the areas where there had been variances from the approved budget.

The outturn was £169,000 more than budgeted, however a significant amount of this related to repairs/improvements in the Service Improvement Plan but these would be carried forward. The Capital Improvement Reserve had a balance of £605,000 but it was noted that £35,000 was committed to two improvement schemes that were not commenced during 2021/2022.

Cremations had remained at levels higher than those forecast and the number of outside area cremations had also continued to be high.

The report noted that a redistribution of £600k had been made to the constituent authorities, the details of which were set out in paragraph 5.2 of the officer’s report.

It had not been necessary to use any reserves to balance the budget as forecast and so the reserves would be retained in order to maintain a prudent approach.

RESOLVED –

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

2.   That the carry forward requests be approved.

3.   That the re-distribution to the three constituent authorities be approved.

REASON FOR DECISION

To ensure that Joint Committee approves the Statement of Accounts for 2021/22 and that a balanced revenue budget is maintained for 2022/23.

-      Report to follow

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

Information on cremation totals, comparisons with national and regional data, and geographical information on which areas funerals had been received from in 2021/22 was provided in Section 2 of the officer’s report.

A review of the seasonal gardener position had been undertaken and it was acknowledged that the current post holder had a broad skills set, which, during the pandemic had proved to be very useful. Therefore the Bereavement Services Manager sought permission to adjust the job description of the seasonal gardener post to ensure greater resilience in the service.

A budget estimate had been received for the installation of CCTV cameras and enhanced lighting for the public car park areas, as detailed in section 3.2 of the officer’s report. These improvements would provide greater safety and security for mourners arriving at and leaving the crematorium during hours of darkness. Sufficient funds were available in the Capital Improvement Plan Reserve to cover the costs involved.

RESOLVED –

1.           That the report be notedand delegated authority be given to the Manager to review and then implement through delegation the outcome of the JE review the Job Description and Person Specification of the Seasonal Gardener Position.

2.           That approval be given for the Manager to enter into a

procurement exercise through the Lead Authority’s ProContract System for the purchase of additional CCTV and lighting and funds be allocated from reserves to cover the costs of these improvements.

REASON FOR DECISION –

1.      To develop the Crematorium Staff and provide further

resilience over the Winter 22/23 and future.

2.           To improve the security and safety of staff and visitors whilst making the crematorium a more welcoming place during the

Winter Months