Cemetery Capital Investment Priorities, Officer Delegated Decision
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Officer Delegated Decision Report Report title Cemetery Capital Investment Priorities Wards: All Report Authorised by: Strategic Director - Sue Foster Portfolio: Cabinet Member – Cllr Jane Edbrooke Contact for enquiries: [email protected] Steven Wong, Project Officer, Environment , Delivery, 020 7926 0388 Report summary 1) The capital investment priorities aim to: Eliminate a growing backlog of repairs that has resulted from 40 years of under investment, bringing existing infrastructure into a ‘year one’ condition placing the Cemetery and Crematorium service into a position of becoming self sustainable. Increase the awareness of the cemetery as a ‘place’, enhancing the cemetery’s infrastructure and prized assets to improve visitor experience and attract future burials. Assist in creating value in the cemetery environment by building upon existing revenue streams and creating opportunities for new ones. 2) A detailed assessment of all three cemeteries has been undertaken to identify the key investment priorities for each, these include: Structural repairs to key infrastructural items at each site including drainage, roads, footpaths, railings and boundary walls. New infrastructure items for each site including signage, watering points, seating and bins. A significant amount of vegetation clearance and planting at all sites. Making safe of dangerous gravestones and memorials. Groundworks to create new burial spaces through the use of virgin land, or public consecrated land. Heritage restoration repairs to Grade II listed monuments in West Norwood Cemetery including the catacombs, monuments and memorials of significance and the Greek Cemetery. Introduction of a new visitors centre and natural play space at West Norwood Cemetery. 3) There are approximately 1,400 burial spaces available in Lambeth Cemetery and none in Streatham and West Norwood – it is anticipated that this will last 8 years (based on 177 burials per year). 4) With just under 50,000m2 of virgin / consecrated land the Council is well placed for future burial capacity. This report proposes to instigate approximately 18,000m2 of land for a combination of burial applications that will see capacity increase to between 2830 to 4785 burial plots (numbers will be confirmed once feasibility assessments are completed). This capacity will see Lambeth through for at least 15 further years. 5) A nine year capital investment programme is required for the West Norwood Cemetery that incorporates two HLF bids within that time frame. The total investment requirements are: Capital Receipts £3,939,521 HLF ‘Parks for People’ £4,995,900 HLF ‘Heritage’ £4,000,000 The HLF bid process takes two years at minimum. Expenditure has been programmed to minimise capital receipt expenditure to feasibility, design and urgent repairs so that the HLF opportunity can be maximised. The HLF will finance most identified priorities with the exception of making safe dangerous gravestones and memorials and re-use. 7) A five year capital investment programme is required for Lambeth Cemetery. The total investment requirement is £5,933,000. 8) A four year capital investment programme is required for Streatham Cemetery. The total investment requirement is £3,777,770. 9) This report recommends an initial year (2014/15) capital investment using capital receipts, totalling: West Norwood Cemetery £170,500 Lambeth Cemetery £302,000 Streatham Cemetery £55,000 The initial and second year costs are certain. Subsequent year figures are specific in some cases, but largely provisional subject to feasibility and assessment. For this reason it is recommended further that AMIG acknowledges the extent of works required for each cemetery and that it is consequently tabled as a rolling programme of work that needs to be reviewed by AIMG prior to the start of each financial year. 10) The capital investment works will largely reduce Lambeth’s outstanding maintenance liabilities for the infrastructural elements of the cemeteries and it is envisaged that the improvements will help facilitate a drive in demand for the use of them as public spaces and places for burial. Actual return on investment figures are difficult to quantify for improved infrastructure and a new play area (WNC only). Furthermore, revenues from a visitors centre and restored catacombs with community facilities are also difficult to quantify at this stage of the process where it is still undetermined what future uses they may bear. However, it is possible to quantify ROI on re-use and burial with initial projections are between £4.5m and £17.9m depending on what combination of burial type is introduced. 11) A separate piece of work are being undertaken to look at grave re-use – combined with feasibility studies of each site this will assist in firming up a return on investment. 12) A cemeteries business case is being compiled that will blueprint the services future in terms of self sustainability. 13) It is proposed that additional staffing will be required: 1 x full time project officer for West Norwood Cemetery 1 x full time project officer for Lambeth and Streatham Cemetery 1 x full time programme manager to co-odinate the two HLF submissions and related work streams for West Norwood Cemetery 1 x contracted site construction manager to oversee West Norwood Cemetery works 1 x contracted site construction manager to oversee Lambeth and Streatham Cemetery works It is assumed that these staffing costs can be recharged to capital – therefore they have been included in the overall project costs in the finance summary. Finance summary West Norwood Cemetery Financial Capital Receipt HLF – Parks for People HLF – Heritage Year Requirement Requirement Programme Requirement 2014-15 £170,500 2015-16 £489,971 2016-17 £715,500 2017-18 £272,500 2018-19 £464,800 £1,579,200 2019-20 £592,250 £920,000 2020-21 £242,000 £483,800 £1,000,000 2021-22 £992,000 £834,900 £1,000,000 2022-23 £1,178,000 £1,000,000 2023-24 £1,000,000 £3,939,521 £4,995,900 £4,000,000 All figures above include incremental RPIX indices of 3% Lambeth Cemetery Financial Year Amount Plus RPIX (3%) 2014-15 £302,000 £302,000 2015-16 £809,000 £833,270 2016-17 £1,863,000 £1,974,780 2017-18 £1,375,000 £1,498,750 2018-19 £1,185,000 £1,324,200 TOTALS £5,534,000 £5,933,000 Streatham Cemetery Financial Year Amount Plus RPIX (3%) 2014-15 £55,000 £55,000 2015-16 £564,000 £580,920 2016-17 £1,800,000 £1,908,000 2017-18 £765,000 £833,850 2018-19 - - TOTALS £3,184,000 £3,377,770 The initial and second year costs for each cemetery are quite certain. Subsequent year figures are specific in some cases, but largely provisional subject to feasibility and assessment. Re-use and Burial – Key Income and ROI Figures Cemetery Investment Income ROI West Norwood Re-use £965,000 £1,800,000 £835,000 Lambeth New Burial – £25,000 £403,000 £428,000 redundant roadways New Burial £2.5m - £7m £3.8m - £21.7m £1.3m - £14.7m Streatham Re-use £2.5m £4.4m £1.9m Recommendations 1) That £170,500 is allocated to the West Norwood Cemetery in 2014-15 from capital receipts to fund: Initial drainage feasibility assessment £23,500 Clearance of the Effra River culvert £22,000 Structural Assessment of the catacombs £15,000 Structural Design works of Boundary Wall £5,000 Landscaping and Gardening works £40,000 Essential railing work £25,000 Management and administration costs £40,000 2) That £302,000 is allocated to the Lambeth Cemetery in 2014-15 from capital receipts to fund: Engineering scope for virgin burial site £5,000 Radar survey for virgin burial site £5,000 CCTV survey and gully clearance £40,000 Detailed design for granite paved entrance £10,000 Road resurfacing (inc kerb works) £242,000 3) That £55,000 is allocated to the Streatham Cemetery in 2014-15 from capital receipts to fund: Engineering scope for virgin burial site £5,000 CCTV survey and gully clearance £40,000 Detailed design for granite paved entrance £10,000 4) It is recommended that AIMG acknowledges the extent of work and capital investment requirements for each subsequent financial year and that they are consequently tabled as rolling programmes of work that need to be reviewed prior to the start of each financial year. 1. Context 1.1 An assessment of all three cemetery sites (West Norwood, Lambeth and Streatham) has been undertaken in order to identify the current and future capital investment priorities of each. The investment priorities aim to: Eliminate a growing backlog of repairs that has resulted from 40 years of under investment, bringing existing infrastructure into a ‘year one’ condition placing the Cemetery and Crematorium service into a position of becoming self sustainable. Increase the awareness of the cemetery as a ‘place’, enhancing the cemetery’s infrastructure and prized assets to improve visitor experience and attract future burials. Assist in creating value in the cemetery environment by building upon existing revenue streams and creating opportunities for new ones. Aspirations for the sites have been obtained through consultation with the Cemetery and Crematorium Service Team, the Scheme of Management and Friends of West Norwood Cemetery (West Norwood only). The Friends of Streatham Cemetery have been contacted, but no response has been received to date. Detailed visual assessments of all three cemeteries with the assistance of various consultants, contractors and service suppliers was undertaken to determine the key maintenance items required in the short to medium term. Lastly, discussions and research has been undertaken with other cemetery authorities to establish best practices. 1.2 West Norwood Cemetery and Crematorium was one of the first private landscaped cemeteries in London. This cemetery is one of the Magnificent Seven cemeteries of London, and is a site of major historical, architectural and ecological interest – arguably, it is one of Lambeth’s most prized historical assets.