Agenda item

The report will follow in a supplementary pack for this meeting after it has been published for the meeting of Executive Committee (due for publication on Monday 3 March).

The Environmental Services Manager presented the Future Cemetery Provision report for the consideration of Overview and Scrutiny.

It was noted that it was previously envisaged that burial provision would be enlarged at the Ipsley Church Lane site. Following elections in May 2024, the new administration had requested putting a hold on any further works on the Ipsley Church Lane site whilst a review of alternative sites was carried out.

Following an independent review of potential alternatives for burial provision within the Borough, looking at 10 locations and 13 sites across the Borough, a potential new site for burial provision was proposed in the report on Land North of Morrisons and West of the B4497, B98 0JD (Proposed Site 2B).

There remained a need for burial provision whilst this site was further investigated. It was added that even with the additional two years of provision found following internal review, there was not enough provision available to last before the proposed site could be operational. It was therefore proposed that a section of land within the Abbey Cemetery that had previously been used for ashes scattering be repurposed to provide ten years of further burial provision.

It was acknowledged that the use of the former ashes scattering area at the Abbey Cemetery and Redditch Crematorium could be upsetting for those who had used this area previously. However, it was confirmed that there would be detailed searches of records and communications provided to those residents who had used this site previously. These communications would be made through social media, websites, and notices posted at the location to inform people of the proposed future use. Residents would be listened to and Members were reassured that this would be an open and transparent process throughout. An appropriate memorial would be considered for installation at the site.

A further proposal contained within the report was that burial provision be included as a specific reference within the Redditch Local Plan, the development of which was currently underway. This recommendation would enable all feasible options and funding for providing new burial space to be considered through the policies and allocations in the new Borough of Redditch Local Plan.

The Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Environmental Services was invited to speak and in doing so highlighted that the resolutions arrived at within the report were not proposed lightly and full consideration would be given to residents affected by the proposals. The Deputy Leader stated that the first recommendation would ensure the Council had sufficient time to find alternative sites for burial provision and in this regard it was noted that as part of the proposals there would still remain a large area for ashes scattering within the Abbey Cemetery. It was acknowledged that many people may find this place very special to them, and the Council would therefore do its best to alleviate people’s concerns.

The Deputy Leader clarified that for the proposed site identified for burial provision, the Land North of Morrisons and West of the B4497, B98 0JD (Proposed Site 2B), the report recommended further investigation to be carried out to determine if the site could be used. Any final decision locating burial provision at this site would be subject of a separate report. The Deputy Leader drew attention to the third report recommendation in that by incorporating new burial provision into the Redditch Local Plan the Council would be better able to monitor the burial provision levels required in the Borough given future housing developments.

Once the report had been presented, Members discussed the following points in detail:

·       Arrangements for soil removal at the ashes scattering area at Abbey Cemetery and Redditch Crematorium, B97 6RR – A Member queried the arrangements for removing the top soil of the area that had been used for ashes scattering, in preparation for use as a burial site. The Officers explained that at the site the ashes were scattered on top of the lawn and had already been distributed into the soil. There were no markers present to indicate specific locations of where ashes had been scattered. The proposal in the report was to repurpose part of the ash scattering area within the Abbey Cemetery for burials. This would be through using the soil present at the site for burials. A Member expressed his disapproval and ethical concern with the proposal, noting that the graves would be dug up using the same soil on which ashes had previously been scattered.

·       Suitability of the Land North of Morrisons and West of the B4497, B98 0JD (proposed site 2B) for cemetery development – Concerns were raised by some Members regarding the suitability of the proposed site, given that the site was located within the part of Arrow Valley Park used by the Council every summer for sporting events and festivities. A Member raised a further concern regarding the high water table at the site given the proximity of the lake to the site. It was noted that soil samples had not been taken prior to papers being presented to the Committee and there was a risk that the site could be rejected following feasibility studies. A Member expressed hope that the water table would not be an issue given the lake was man-made and therefore lined.

·       Records of caskets at the Abbey Cemetery and Redditch Crematorium, B97 6RR – The Officer clarified that based on the records passed to the Environmental Services Manager by his predecessor there were no caskets that had been put in the area under consideration for repurposing. It was explained that if during further investigation of paperwork any evidence of caskets would come to light the Council would need to reconsider its plans as exhumation licence from the Ministry of Justice would then be required. A Member urged the Council to undertake the land survey before any works began, given complications and that could occur if coffins were subsequently found at the site.

·       It was reiterated by the Environmental Services Manager that the Council would take special care to investigate every single record to determine if any caskets were left buried at the site and the Council would exercise every caution and promptly contact the Ministry of Justice and the families concerned if there was any casket found during the course of the investigation of the site.

·       A Member commented that the site earmarked for repurposing within Abbey Cemetery was maintained by Redditch Borough Council and grass was regularly mowed at the site of ashes scattering so there was already disruption to the ashes scattered both from mowers and weather conditions, for example wind.

·       The number of families that might be affected by proposals to repurpose the ashes scattering area – The Environmental Services Manager responded that a third of scattering garden L at the Abbey Cemetery and Redditch Crematorium would be affected. The Council would be able to investigate records by garden location to determine the families affected in that garden, subject to any ashes scattering on the grounds that the Council was not aware of.

·       Burial provision capacity in Redditch – It was reported that the figure of 71 new burials per year was based on the Office for National Statistics (ONS) data for death-rates in Redditch. Based on this figure, it was calculated that Edgioake Lane Cemetery had approximately five years burial provision available at its current usage, and the Abbey Cemetery had approximately two years left. This was the remaining available space, if the recommended actions were not taken to increase provision.

·       Capital expenditure for repurposing the existing ash scattering ground at Abbey Cemetery – It was noted that the estimated figure of £250,000 was a figure quoted within the consultants’ report and it was based the on the consultant’s experience with previous similar projects. The Environmental Services Manager reported that the Council would not be spending this much as some of the infrastructure work at the site, such as paths to the site, would be undertaken by the Council internally.

·       The costs of development of the Land North of Morrisons and West of the B4497, B98 0JD (proposed site 2B) – It was noted that the estimated cost of between £1.25 million to £1.75 million for the development of this site was based on recent similar projects. The Officers highlighted that a feasibility study at the site was required, as per resolution two in the report, as many factors remained unknown. It was noted that the feasibility study of the site might uncover a need for significant mitigation works to be undertaken at the site, such as drainage, which could significantly increase the cost and/or result in less burial space at the site than anticipated.

·       Inclusion of costs relating for development of Proposed Site 2B within Council’s Budgets – It was clarified by Officers that the budget for undertaking a feasibility study for a new burial site was included in the current 2024/25 financial year (£400,000), which would be carried forward, and there was also an allocation in 2025/26 financial year (£125,000). The budget allocated was deemed sufficient for undertaking feasibility studies.

·       With regard to development costs for the Land North of Morrisons and West of the B4497, B98 0JD (proposed site 2B), it was highlighted that this was not included in the 2025/26 budget and would need to be included in a future Medium Term Financial Plan once investigative work had been carried out to understand the topography and geology of the site. It was highlighted that no timescale was yet in place for when detailed plans would be ready. It was predicted that the investigate work and planning would take in excess of one year. Members were reassured that any final cost proposals would be submitted to the Executive Committee and Council as part of the Budget setting report.

On being put to the vote, the recommendations contained in the report were endorsed.

RECOMMENDED that

1)     the Land located at the current Abbey Cemetery site, used previously as an ashes scattering area be utilised for earth burial provision for an interim period of up to ten years commencing in January 2027.

2)    A review be commissioned of the potential to use the site at Land North of Morrisons and West of the B4497, B98 0JD for burial provision in the long-term.

3)    A process begin of incorporating new burial provision within the new Borough of Redditch Local Plan.