North Yorkshire Council
Transition (LGR) Overview and
Scrutiny Committee
11 March 2024
Bereavement Service
Report of the Assistant Director
– Regulatory Services
1.0 PURPOSE
OF REPORT
1.1 To
provide the committee with an overview of the Bereavement Service,
operating model and proposed future development.
2.0
SUMMARY
2.1 This
report provides an overview of the Bereavement Service, its current
operating parameters and responsibilities. It explains the capital
programme over the next five years including a chapel extension at
Skipton and cemetery expansion in Filey, Harrogate, Knaresborough,
Pateley Bridge, Scarborough and Whitby. Finally, it details the
capital plan for cremator replacement and an overview of plans to
contribute to the Council’s climate change
programme.
3.0
BACKGROUND
3.1
The
Bereavement Service operates across the whole Council geography,
with c.25 staff based at four locality crematoria
·
Skipton
Crematorium – opened 1952
·
Stonefall Crematorium (Harrogate) – opened
1936
·
Maple
Park Crematorium (Thirsk) – opened 2022
·
Woodlands Crematorium (Scarborough) –
opened 1961
In
addition, there are over 100 cemeteries and closed churchyards
across the whole of North Yorkshire which are operated by or are
the responsibility of the Council.
3.2
The
Service is a frontline customer facing one, with daily liaison with
bereaved families and mourners as well as professional services
including funeral directors, medical professionals, ministers,
celebrants, memorial masons, and diocesan officers. The service has
regular operational links with the Coroner and Registrars in North
Yorkshire and with neighbouring local authority
registrars.
3.3
The
primary purpose of the service is to provide dignified funerals and
cremation or burial of the deceased for the people of North
Yorkshire. The current level of demand is approximately 75% of all
deaths within the unitary authority. Further services are provided
through opportunities for memorialisation of the deceased at both
open and closed cemeteries, purchasing of burial plots and
genealogical searches.
3.4
Staff
based at crematoria all have multi-faceted roles encompassing the
full range of duties involved in funeral services, burials,
cremation, and memorialisation. An appropriate level of working
knowledge of key legislation is required to ensure that the
management of the deceased is in line with statutory legislation
and great care is needed in ensuring that burials in graves and of
cremated remains are carried out accurately. Staff operate at
satellite cemeteries and churchyards throughout the unitary
authority to carry out burials and memorialisation checks.
Stonefall also operates a pet crematorium facility. The service
operates year-round, with pressure points when the death rate
increases, often in the winter months.
4.0
DETAILED PRESENTATION OF THE
SUBSTANTIVE ISSUE
4.1.
Crematoria – an
overview
4.1.1.
Skipton, Stonefall and Woodlands
crematoria each operate two gas-fired cremators. Maple Park
operates a single electric cremator. Second cremators are only used
when required and careful planning of cremations is designed to
minimise energy consumption.
4.1.2.
Table 1 shows the number of
cremations carried out since 1 April 2023. Table 2 (Section 4.2.3)
shows the number of full burials or burial of cremated remains.
The service has overseen the cremation or burial of 75% of
all deaths registered in North Yorkshire between April and December
2023.
4.1.3.
Table 1. Number of cremations
2023-2024
|
|
Skipton
|
Maple Park
|
Stonefall
|
Woodlands
|
|
Apr
|
87
|
75
|
142
|
95
|
|
May
|
109
|
72
|
114
|
98
|
|
Jun
|
84
|
66
|
115
|
96
|
|
Jul
|
63
|
71
|
102
|
84
|
|
Aug
|
80
|
68
|
100
|
98
|
|
Sep
|
85
|
59
|
120
|
79
|
|
Oct
|
88
|
77
|
98
|
87
|
|
Nov
|
86
|
73
|
106
|
90
|
|
Dec
|
102
|
73
|
119
|
100
|
|
TOTAL
|
784
|
634
|
1016
|
827
|
|
|
3261
|
4.1.4.
Overall cremations per
month
4.1.5.
Abatement plant is fitted to all
cremators in line with Defra statutory guidance on reducing
emissions, which includes CO2 and mercury. There will be
a requirement to upgrade aspects of this equipment within this
administration once proposed amendments to emission limits are
reduced.
4.1.6.
Metals are recovered from the
cremation process and are recycled with consent of bereaved
families. Monies generated are distributed to locally operating
bereavement charities. During 2022-2023 c£50k was distributed
to charities. The recycling company will be changed from April 2024
onwards moving from a Dutch to a Sheffield based company. This will
also contribute to the Council’s reduction of emissions
through contracted transport activities.
4.2.
Crematoria – capital
plans
4.2.1.
Cremators have a lifespan of
approximately 20 years. The current installation cost of a cremator
and ancillary plant is c.£1M. A further £1.5M
maintenance and rebricking costs are usual over the whole life of
the plant.
4.2.2.
Replacement cremators will be
required no later than.
|
Crematorium
|
Years
|
Number
|
|
Maple
Park
|
20
|
1
|
|
Skipton
|
15
|
2
|
|
Stonefall
|
20
|
2
|
|
Woodlands
|
5
|
2
|
4.2.3.
There are three methods of cremation
available in the UK. Gas fired cremators are the established method
of heating cremation chambers and electrical cremators are newer
but established technology with both using flame to cremate.
Resomation, also known as water cremation or alkaline hydrolysis
uses an alkaline solution to reduce a body to ash. Although
established in North America, this is a very new method of
cremation method which is being introduced to the UK.
4.2.4.
The service will work alongside
colleagues from climate change and energy teams to research the
options for each of the different cremation methods including
energy use, sustainability and environmental impact as well as
practical and public perceptions of introducing new
technologies.
4.2.5.
Skipton Crematorium has the smallest
chapel of the four crematoria. A legacy capital investment project
which had gained planning permission, proposed extending the chapel
to provide cover for larger congregations who currently observe
funeral services from outside.
4.2.6.
The plan is that the chapel seating will be
increased from 64 to 114 mourners which will reduce the number of
services with outside mourners and provide a chapel size comparable
with crematoria in West Yorkshire. A review is ongoing to look to
progress this project.
4.3.
Cemeteries – an
overview
4.3.1.
North Yorkshire Council is a burial
authority (Local Government Act 1972 Sec 214) and is responsible
for the maintenance and upkeep of burial grounds.
4.3.2 The Council operates 18
open cemeteries.
4.3.3
Most of these cemeteries are open to
new burials. A number have limited new space available and are
restricted to interments in occupied family graves or burial of
ashes. There are further closed cemeteries in Scarborough at Manor
Road and Dean Road. Stonefall has an adjoining cemetery which is maintained by the Commonwealth
Graves Commission. There are other open cemeteries operated and
maintained by Town Councils at Boroughbridge and Filey.
4.3.4
Table 2. Number of burials
2023 -2024 to date
|
|
|
Craven
|
Richmond
|
Harrogate
|
Scarborough
|
Total
|
|
Apr
|
Full
|
0
|
1
|
7
|
7
|
15
|
|
|
Ashes
|
3
|
1
|
14
|
9
|
27
|
|
May
|
Full
|
2
|
2
|
12
|
7
|
23
|
|
|
Ashes
|
8
|
1
|
14
|
18
|
41
|
|
Jun
|
Full
|
2
|
1
|
9
|
13
|
25
|
|
|
Ashes
|
8
|
0
|
10
|
12
|
30
|
|
Jul
|
Full
|
5
|
0
|
13
|
9
|
27
|
|
|
Ashes
|
6
|
0
|
15
|
9
|
30
|
|
Aug
|
Full
|
2
|
0
|
19
|
6
|
27
|
|
|
Ashes
|
2
|
0
|
14
|
17
|
33
|
|
Sep
|
Full
|
1
|
0
|
6
|
13
|
20
|
|
|
Ashes
|
3
|
0
|
16
|
10
|
29
|
|
Oct
|
Full
|
6
|
0
|
9
|
6
|
21
|
|
|
Ashes
|
2
|
0
|
20
|
8
|
30
|
|
Nov
|
Full
|
2
|
0
|
9
|
7
|
18
|
|
|
Ashes
|
1
|
0
|
17
|
4
|
22
|
|
Dec
|
Full
|
1
|
0
|
17
|
10
|
28
|
|
|
Ashes
|
2
|
0
|
18
|
7
|
27
|
|
Total
|
Full
|
21
|
4
|
101
|
78
|
204
|
|
|
Ashes
|
35
|
2
|
138
|
94
|
269
|
|
|
|
473
|
|
4.4
Cemeteries – Capital
Plans
4.4.1
There are several cemeteries which
are reaching capacity. These were identified by legacy councils,
and planning had already commenced on extensions and new
sites.
|
Locality
|
Cemetery
|
Estimated years
left
|
|
Scarborough
|
Larpool Lane, Whitby
Woodlands, Scarborough
Lawns, Filey
|
3.4 years
5.2 years
6.2 years
|
|
Harrogate
|
Pateley Bridge
Stonefall
Knaresborough
|
2.7 years
3.9 years
8.7 years
|
|
Craven
|
Ingleton
Waltonwrays
|
16 years
18 years
|
|
Hambleton
|
No cemeteries
|
|
|
Richmondshire
|
Wensley
|
20 years plus
|
|
Ryedale
|
No cemeteries
|
|
|
Selby
|
No cemeteries
|
|
4.4.2
Legacy capital funds are sufficient
to cover the costs of Pateley Bridge for which plans, and
pre-planning application are well advanced. A site at Whitby has
been identified and work is currently underway with Highways to
determine access solutions. Approval will be sought from capital
board later this year as plans are
finalised.
4.4.3
NY Highways will be contracted in
each case to construct the cemetery, access works, roadways in the
cemetery and memorial footings. This will allow the Council to
prudently use capital funds to maximise the expansion programme and
allow direct award to minimise the time frame to
completion.
4.5
Closed Churchyards
4.5.1 The Council is currently
responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of 78 closed
churchyards. Under the Local Government Act (1974), Section 215, a
Church of England Parochial Church Council (PCC) can apply to the
Privy Council for an Order to close a churchyard to new burials.
Within three months of the closure the PCC can pass the
responsibility for maintenance and upkeep to a parish, community or
county/county borough council. The churchyard remains consecrated
ground and additional burials in existing graves are the
responsibility of the parish incumbent. The maintenance of the
grounds, boundary walls and memorial safety are the responsibility
of the Council. Works other than normal maintenance are subject to the granting of a faculty from
the relevant diocese.
4.6
Memorial Safety
4.6.1
The Local Authorities Cemetery Order
(1997) gives the Council power to maintain or remove any memorial
within its cemeteries and churchyards. The service has adopted a
proportional approach to assessing and managing the risks, using
the Ministry of Justice’s guidance to survey over 90k
memorials. Wherever possible owners will be contacted, and
memorials will only be laid down if they present a significant risk
to visitors.
4.6.2
During 2024-2025 the service will
invest in a Council wide system to collate records into one place
and efficiently record safety checks. This will transform this
function from seven separate systems to one system using
cloud-based software and phone apps to allow efficient in-field
monitoring and recording. This will require extensive mapping of
CofE churchyards whose burial records are often not as
comprehensive as municipal cemeteries.
4.7
Charter for the
Bereaved
4.7.1
The Council has been awarded the
Gold Charter for the Bereaved, issued by the Institute of
Crematoria and Cemetery Management. Prior to LGR the award was held
by Stonefall (Gold) and Skipton (Gold/Silver for cemeteries).
Since 1 April 2023 the service has worked hard to achieve
Gold standard for both crematoria and cemeteries across the whole
service. Approximately one third of crematoria across the United
Kingdom and Northern Ireland hold the charter.
4.8
Competition Markets
Authority
4.8.1
An investigation by the CMA in 2019
was a result of identification of several concerns within the
sector, including that prices for similar services differed between
funeral directors and the way that information was provided made it
hard for families to compare prices and choose the right
combination of services.
4.8.2
The Funeral Market Investigation
Order (2021) introduced a range of new legal obligations on funeral
directors and crematorium operators to tackle the problems
identified by the CMA. The Council is required to provide statutory
quarterly returns to the CMA on the number and type of cremations
carried out and publish price lists or certain services delivered
in pdf format on its website.
5
IMPACT ON OTHER
SERVICES/ORGANISATIONS
5.1
Grounds
Maintenance
The maintenance of cemeteries and
churchyards is carried out by a variety of internal services and
external contractors. The service will work with Parks and Grounds
over the next year to develop a Council wide strategy to
maintenance.
6.0
FINANCIAL
IMPLICATIONS
6.1
There are no financial implications
arising directly from this report as it is for information
only
7.0
LEGAL IMPLICATIONS
7.1.
Maple Park LLP
Maple Park is currently constituted
as a Limited Liability Partnership. During 2024-2025 a proposal
will be tabled at Executive to wind the company up and transfer the
assets into the Council.
8.0
CLIMATE CHANGE
IMPLICATIONS
8.1.
Utility usage
The service is a major consumer of
gas at three of the crematoria. Detailed analysis of utility
consumption will be carried out to understand the impact of the
operation. Comparison data from the electric cremator at Maple Park
will provide a better understanding of future options for cremator
replacement.
8.2.
Biodiversity and nature
recovery
Nationally, cemeteries provide 4% of
accessible green space in England. A number of our cemeteries are
in built-up areas and have been left undisturbed from pesticides
etc for a number of years. The service will produce an action plan
to develop the biodiversity and nature recovery in cemeteries
balanced with ensuring that the spaces continue to be seen as
sacred and respectful so that residents can peacefully remember
their loved ones.
9.0
POLICY
IMPLICATIONS
9.1. Rules and regulations
for cemeteries will be revised during 2024-2025 to create a single
standardised approach for management of graves and memorials and
the granting of future exclusive rights of burial.
10.0 HUMAN
RESOURCES IMPLICATIONS
10.1 Consultation on
harmonisation of job roles within the service will take place
during February and March 2024 with implementation from 1 April
2024.
|
11.0
|
RECOMMENDATION
|
|
11.1
|
To note the
content of this report and the capital programme
|
BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS:
The Local Authorities' Cemeteries Order 1977
Statutory Guidance for Crematoria,
Process Guidance Note (5/2) 12, Defra 2012
Managing the safety of Burial Ground
Memorials, Ministry of Justice, 2009
ICCM Charter for the Bereaved
Callum
McKeon
Assistant
Director - Regulatory Services
County
Hall
Northallerton
09 February
2024
Report Author
– Adrian Clarke, Head of Registrar, Coroner and Bereavement
Services
Presenter of
Report – Callum McKeon, Assistant Director, Regulatory
Services