Agenda item

Recommendations

       i.         that Executive approves £2.5 million in capital funding to enable the gas cremators at Woodlands Crematorium in Scarborough to be replaced, like for like, with new upgraded ones.

     ii.         that this project is funded through NYC’s Strategic Capacity Reserve.

Considered a report of the Corporate Director of Environment seeking approval for £2.5 million capital funding to replace the existing gas cremators at the council’s Woodlands Crematorium in Scarborough. Introducing the report, the Executive Member for Managing our Environment, Councillor Richard Foster commented that replacing with like-for-like, upgraded gas cremators was the most cost-effective option that would cause less risk of service disruption of this much valued and long-established facility for the local community. The sound commercial sense of this option was also noted.

Resolved (unanimously) that

1. that Executive approves £2.5 million in capital funding to enable the gas cremators at Woodlands Crematorium in Scarborough to be replaced, like for like, with new upgraded ones.

2. that this project is funded through NYC’s Strategic Capacity Reserve.

Reasons for recommendations

A decision to approve the capital funding for the Woodlands cremator replacement project will safeguard the long-term future of Woodlands Crematorium for at least 20 years. This will continue a much-valued service for NYC’s coastal communities that has been established for the last 65 years.

Alternative options considered

Property Services and the Bereavement Service submitted an appraisal using a scoring matrix with the project proposal for capital board approval, as reproduced in Appendix A. The appraisal assessed the following criteria: Desirability, Feasibility, and Viability. The assessment recommended gas as the preferred solution for the cremator replacement.

A summary of the reasons why Capital Board supported this option were as follows: 

·            gas-only replacement (like-for-like) with a programme of phased work to ensure the crematorium remains operational

·            due to the existing building design, replacement cremators and associated plant equipment will follow a ‘like-for-like’ installation strategy, (gas burners) located within the current technical areas of the crematorium

·            replacing existing gas cremators like-for-like is the most cost-effective option – when we consider the additional necessary electrical infrastructure upgrade required to the site to support the latter options and the need for a temporary cremator during the construction phase

·            replacing with like-for-like, upgraded gas cremators will provide energy savings compared to the existing cremators, due to technological advancement in this cremation process over the last 20 years

·            the cremation process using gas is shorter in duration by an average of 30 minutes to one hour compared to the electric option

·            the risks of service disruption during the construction phase of the project are lower for the like-for-like gas replacement option, compared to the other options.

The discounted options were:

·            electric-only replacement, requiring a power supply upgrade and temporary cremator hire, all additional costs, which provide a higher risk of service disruption. The total estimated costs of replacing gas with electric cremators is approximately double the cost of gas cremators at £3million (not including any prelims, contingency or fees). Furthermore, feedback from staff at Maple Park Crematorium who operate an electric only cremator, is that they have experienced issues with extended down time during annual servicing, delays in repairs, with contractors travelling from mainland Europe and minimal heat control on the cremator

·            hybrid cremators (gas/electric elements) - operational issues as electric cremators. Plus, hybrid models are an unknown technology with minimal installations in the UK

·            hybrid cremators (gas elements only), adaptable to electric when funding becomes available - operational issues as outlined above with power upgrade costs deferred to a later date

·            defer all proposed works. Increased risk of cremator failure and continued repair costs.