Agenda and minutes

There were no declarations of interest.

NOTED            that no intention to record the meeting was declared apart from through the usual web platforms.

The Minutes of the Meeting held on 18 September 2023 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

The report provided an update on staff and the current operation of the Crematorium.

The Crematorium and Cemeteries Manager and Registrar presented the report highlighting the staffing, cremator and ancillary equipment, metal recycling scheme, Christmas and cremation data.

Cllr Smith referred to the cremation data and if the newer sites also saw a decrease in cremation numbers, the Crematorium and Cemeteries Manager and Registrar to provide the relative data to the next meeting.

AGREED      (unanimously) that:

i)          Members noted the report.

The report showed the forecasted year end position for the 2023/2024 financial year for the Mansfield Crematorium as at 30 September 2023.

The Head of Finance for Mansfield District Council gave an overview of the report to the members of the Committee.

AGREED      (unanimously) that:

i)          the financial information provided in Appendix 1, Table 1 and Table 2 is for noting only.

ii)         the budget for Capital Flue Ways/Repair/Maintenance is increased, as detailed in 1.1.6 of the report.

The report provided the proposed fees and charges to be introduced from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025.

The Committee discussed the trends and inflation for the cremation fees, wanting to be comparable with other crematoriums.

AGREED      (unanimously) that:

i)          the proposed cremation fee as shown in Table 2 for the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 be approved.  The fee proposed for 2024/2025 is £969, which is an increase of £46 (5%) on the 2023/2024 standard cremation fee.  The medical referee fee £18.50 will be added to these proposed standard cremation fees.

ii)         the proposed standard cremation fees as shown in Table 2 for 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 be approved in principle.  The standard cremation fees proposed are: 2024/2025 £969, 2025/2026 £1,017 and 2026/27 £1,068, being an increase of 5% in all three years.  The medical referee fee £18.50 will be added to these proposed cremation fees.

iii)       the proposed fees and charges for 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025, as set out in Appendix 1 be approved.

The report provided the revenue and capital budgets for 2024/2025 and the proposals for 2025/2026 and 2026/2027.

Table 1 in the report summarised the revenue budget information provided in more detail at Appendix 1.

The Committee were concerned as to what Shirebrook Crematorium would be charging when opening in 2025 and therefore considering a possible 20% reduction in income for Mansfield Crematorium.

AGREED      (unanimously) that:

i)          the proposed revenue and capital budgets for 2024/25 be approved, as per Appendix 1.

ii)         the proposed revenue and capital budgets for 2025/26 and 2026/27 be approved in principle, as per Appendix 1.

iii)       in 2024/25 an annual surplus of £875,000 be approved.

iv)       in 2025/26 and 2026/27 an annual surplus of £366,947 and £387,629 respectively be approved in principle.

The Members noted the Committee Work Programme.

That, under section 100A (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 involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

Agreed (unanimously) that under section 100A (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 involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

Committee resolved that under Section 100(A) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting during discussion of this item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the Act and that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

It is considered that the need to treat the information in this report as exempt outweighs the public interest in disclosure because of potential to prejudice the commercial interests of the contractor, if the financial details were to be put into the public domain thereby becoming available to competitors.