Agenda Item: 2

Community and Adult Services Scrutiny Committee

A REPORT OF THE COMMUNITY AND ADULT SERVICES SCRUTINY COMMITTEE

Bereavement Strategy – An examination of Council’s provision of bereavement services and the need for a Bereavement Strategy.

FEBRUARY 2005

County Council of The City and County of

Report of the Community and Adult Services Scrutiny Committee Task & Finish Inquiry - Bereavement Strategy ______

CONTENTS

CONTENTS ………………………………………………………………………….. 2

FOREWORD…………………………………………………………………………. 3

TERMS OF REFERENCE..………………………………………………………… 4

KEY FINDINGS……………………………………………………………………… 4

SERVICE PROVISION……………………………………………………….. 4

CREMATORIUM ISSUES……………………………………………………... 5

CEMETERY ISSUES…………………………………………………………... 5

LEGISLATIVE ISSUES………………………………………………………… 7

RECOMMENDATIONS ……………………………………………………………. 7

CONTEXT OF BEREAVEMENT SERVICES …………………………………… 9

THE RANGE OF SERVICES…………………………………………………. 9

BUDGET………………………………………………………………………… 11

LEGISLATION………………………………………………………………….. 11

POSITION OF CARDIFF IN NATIONAL LEAGUE TABLE……………….. 12

INQUIRY METHODOLOGY ………………………………………………………. 13

ISSUES ARISING FROM THE INQUIRY ………………………………………… 13

SERVICE PROVISION………………………………………………………… 13

CREMATORIUM ISSUES…………………………………………………….. 15

CEMETERY ISSUES………………………………………………………….... 18

LEGISLATIVE ISSUES……………………………………………………….… 22

LEGAL IMPLICATIONS…………………………………………………………… 22

FINANCIAL IMPLICATION………………………………………………………… 23

COMMUNITY & ADULT SERVICES SCRUTINY COMMITTEE 24 MEMBERSHIP……….………………………………………………………………

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FOREWORD about how highly respected the Council’s Bereavement staff are for their

In recent years the subject of ‘cemetery professionalism. and crematorium services’ has become more important nationally. The key findings and recommendations as detailed in this report, if fully accepted and In response to the mounting issues on implemented, will help to prepare a strategy the Government agreed that that will develop this service over the next there is a need to review all aspects of 10 years and help to move Cardiff County burial law, and the Home Office published Council to a position of having a a consultation document titled Burial Law Bereavement Service that is well delivered st and Policy in the 21st Century published in and fit for the 21 Century and ’s 2004. It is anticipated that an initial report youngest Capital City. on the findings will be published this spring. I commend this report to the Executive as Scrutiny’s positive contribution to the review I would suggest that the timing of this of this vital part of the Council’s services. report makes it entirely appropriate for to start to consider a Councillor Brian Finn review of its own Bereavement Service Chairperson of the Community and Adult Services Scrutiny provision. Committee

In anticipation of the Bereavement Strategy proposed in the Corporate Plan 2004/05 this topic was suggested at the Community and Adult Services Scrutiny

Committee for a Task and Finish inquiry.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the various witnesses that gave up their time to present to the T & F Group, it is significant to note from the comments made by many of the inquiry witnesses

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TERMS OF REFERENCE some time. The service deals with over 4000 funerals and has over 700,000

visitors to its facilities each year. For The Community and Adult Scrutiny comparison, Cardiff’s busiest Leisure Committee established a Task and Finish Centre, Llanishen, has on average Group to examine bereavement services 500,000 visitors per year. This service at its meeting in September 2004. At that does not appear to feature in any of the meeting the Committee agreed the Council’s overarching policies, most following terms of reference: significantly the Cardiff Community To consider issues relating to Strategy 2004-14. Bereavement Services and contribute to the development of a strategy for this 3. Cardiff is presently ranked 22 out of 82 service. in the Institute of Cemetery & Crematorium Management’s league KEY FINDINGS table of authorities that provide both burial and cremation services. The The key findings from this inquiry are: ICCM run the ICCM Excellence Recognition Scheme for any Service Provision organization that manages cemeteries 1. Bereavement Services is a key front and crematoria, and adoption of this line service and the staff were praised scheme could assist Cardiff in improving by all the witnesses for their its position still further in the league helpfulness and the quality of service table. and customer care that they deliver to the bereaved family, and how well they 4. Witnesses suggested that the literature work with the professionals involved in and publications that are used in the the delivery of funeral services and delivery of the services, and produced to memorial provision. advertise the services and the options available to bereaved families, could be 2. Bereavement Services has a very poor simplified and distributed more profile in comparison with many other effectively. Council front line services, even though it is a service that is likely to touch most Cardiff residents’ lives at

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Crematorium Issues repairs and upgrades to the roof and the 5. The buildings at Thornhill crematorium electrical system from being undertaken. are now over 50 years old and have The electrical system is prone to failure been allowed to deteriorate to a poor due to surges in the local domestic condition structurally. They also need supply and therefore needs a dedicated updating from a design and supply. The buildings are over 50 years appearance perspective. The old and with investment now could have deterioration of facilities has a number their life extended for a reasonable of effects: period. • Creates a negative impression of Cardiff and the Council to the Cemetery Issues thousands of visitors and residents 7. Burial space capacity has reached a that attend funerals each year. near critical point in both of the City’s • Reduces the potential to compete largest cemeteries and, if unaddressed, with neighbouring facilities, which this will mean that within 3-4 years is likely to be exacerbated if the Thornhill cemetery will be full, closely application to build a new private followed by Western cemetery where crematorium in the Vale of within 5 years there will be no space left Glamorgan is approved. for new burials. This situation has been • Makes the continued delivery of accelerated by Cardiff’s development. high quality funeral services difficult The population of Cardiff has increased for both the staff and the other by approximately 95,000 since the last professionals involved. cemetery at Thornhill was opened in 1953. Although the UDP makes 6. The last upgrade to the crematorium reference to the need for additional was 5 years ago when the cremators cemetery space, unlike the preceding were replaced, and the Crematorium Local Plan, it makes no commitment to Improvement Fund funded this. There build one. The increase in demand for has been no other capital investment burial space from new developments in the facilities at Thornhill as far back has not been a feature of Section 106 as records show, despite the existence Agreements agreed in planning of the Crematorium Improvement Fund obligations. that now contains £500,000. This lack of investment has prevented essential

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8. Presently the reuse of grave space is on this issue, but it remains one that not permitted in Cardiff but this has continues to generate letters of been the only way some other complaint to Members and needs authorities have been able to deal with careful handling. The pilot scheme at demand for burial space. It is Pantmawr cemetery has been very anticipated that the Home Office, successful and the Service Area want to following the consultation exercise that extend it to all the cemeteries; to was undertaken in 2004, will publish achieve this changes would have to be guidance on grave reuse soon. made to the Cemetery Regulations.

9. Cardiff’s charges for burial are on a 11. cemetery is the oldest in par with other Welsh Authorities but for Cardiff, opened in 1859 as a Garden cremation charges Cardiff is higher. Cemetery, and contains many When compared nationally with interesting historical features. It has benchmark authorities Cardiff is been closed for burial since 1989 even cheaper for both. This is especially though there are potentially 2000 more notable with regard to burial costs grave spaces available, and burials in where other authorities’ charges are family graves do still take place. The nearly double Cardiff’s, and the period Grade II listed Chapels that remain on of time that the rights for the grave are the site have been closed since 1987. sold is often shorter. These buildings have been allowed to become derelict and if no action is taken 10. Unauthorized memorialisation has will deteriorate to a point of being developed in parts of the city’s unsafe. Another chapel on this site has cemeteries due in part to the difficulty already been demolished. A preliminary and sensitivity in the application of the feasibility study on the restoration of Cemetery Regulations. This practice these buildings has been undertaken increases the health and safety risk and proposes to make one chapel and affects the aesthetic appearance available again for funerals services in of the cemetery. A survey by Cathays cemetery. Bereavement services at Western cemetery and comments received 12. Currently the Council only allows during this inquiry from the Clergy Monumental Masons that have passed suggest that there are divided views all the criteria in its own ‘Approval

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Scheme’ to work in the city’s while the response was disappointing, cemeteries. Although at this time they the discussions are still on going. are not controlled fully by the present Cemetery Regulations. The National 14. The Department of The Environment, Association of Memorial Masons Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) have (NAMM) launched a British Register of published a note AQ1(05), in January Accredited Masons (BRAMM) in 2004, 2005, that constitutes an amendment to the aim of which is to insure to both the statutory guidance under regulation Local Authorities and the public that all 37 of the Pollution Prevention and registered memorial masons are Control (England and ) qualified to a high standard of Regulations 2000, SI 1973 that will workmanship and are suitably insured. require all exiting crematoria to be fitted with equipment to reduce mercury Legislative Issues emissions by 50% by the end of 2012. 13. There is a restriction on the work that Further to this it requires each can be carried out on the crematorium crematorium authority to notify the due to the 5% limit of the Council’s appropriate authority of its proposed total input tax on the Council’s VAT chosen course of action to comply with exempt services. In recent years there this amendment by the 31st December has been a priority to use this 2005. allowance on schemes from other RECOMMENDATIONS areas that are also restricted by this

VAT regulation. These are: The Committee recommend that the 1) Land and property transactions, Executive: 2) Pre-school education,

3) Adult education and training. 1. Produce and adopt a Bereavement This has made it difficult for the Strategy in line with the statement in the service to get major improvement Corporate Plan, ensuring that it schemes implemented despite the fact addresses the following points: that there is money available. This • Implementing the full programme of issue has been raised with the Office works required for Thornhill of the Deputy Prime Minister by the crematorium, including the Local Government Association but, development of office space;

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• Development of new areas for 2. Make arrangements as a matter of burial and the range of alternative priority to undertake a health and safety burial options; inspection of the crematorium. • Review of the burial and cremation charges; 3. Prioritise the repair programme to the • Raising the profile of the service crematorium to the top of the VAT both inside and outside the exempt programme for 2005/6 and if Council; necessary beyond. • Management of unauthorised memorialisation; 4. Include the crematorium repair • Application for the ICCM programme for Capital funding in 2006 Excellence Recognition Scheme; and 2007. • Develop additional funding sources for the future provision of this 5. Continue to look at ways to overcome service, such as planning the problem of the restriction on capital obligations from across the City, as expenditure on crematoria due to the the cemeteries service the whole of limit on input tax on VAT exempt Cardiff; services, so that the funding available • Give full consideration to findings from the Crematorium Improvement and recommendations of the report Fund can be used more effectively. that will be published by the Home Office following their consultation 6. Develop new areas for burial at the two exercise ‘Burial Law and Policy in main cemeteries to prevent the situation the 21st Century’ undertaken in of running out of burial space, and also 2004; to give consideration to the options of grave reuse and the creation of a new • Involvement of the appropriate cemetery as indicated by policy 2.3 of consultees, including organisations the UDP. such as the Natural Death Centre

and the Cemetery Research 7. Give urgent consideration to the recent Group. changes in the guidance on

Crematorium emissions.

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8. Raise the profile of the service BRAMM or tightening of the existing internally by ensuring that ‘Approval Scheme’. Bereavement Services are considered fully in any new policies and during the 12. Sensitively, but robustly, apply the next reviews of the Council’s existing regulations for memorialisation with an overarching policy documents. appropriate communication programme with grave right holders. 9. Raise the external profile of the Bereavement Services delivered by 13. Commission a thorough feasibility study the Council by additional promotion, on the potential of reopening Cathays and develop the process by which Chapel, before the building deteriorates bereaved families obtain advice on the further. This study should include steps to take and the options available looking at the opportunities for grant when arranging a funeral or dealing funding and the likely demand for the with the issues that arise after a services that could potentially be relative dies. delivered from it.

10. Review all the paperwork and forms 14. Support Cardiff Bereavement Services that are sent out to bereaved families application to take part in the ICCM to ensure that they are simple to Excellence Recognition Scheme that understand. During this review dovetails into EFQM model and ISO consideration should be given to the 9000. adoption of the Plain English Campaign’s ‘Crystal Mark’ for these CONTEXT OF documents. BEREAVEMENT SERVICES

11. Undertake a review of the Cemetery Regulations to bring them up to date The Range of Services and more specifically tighten the Bereavement Services is an operational control on unauthorised unit of Parks Services under the Highways memorialisation and enforcement of and Parks Service Area. standards of work by Memorial Masons through the adoption of the

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The Service is a member of the Institute The site at Thornhill includes the City’s of Cemetery & Crematorium Management crematorium that consists of two chapels (ICCM) and its services are delivered in originally opened in 1953. Over 2500 accordance with the ICCM’s Charter for cremations take place each year using the the Bereaved. In order to become a 3 cremators. member of the Charter for the Bereaved, The service has developed an improved a burial and/or cremation authority or range of bereavement services in line with company must show that they are able to the Charter for the Bereaved. There is satisfy 35 basic rights connected with active promotion of both alternative options funerals. The Charter also contains of memorial choice and burial (including objectives, and helps authorities to set woodland burials) and of the City and priorities for future development and County of Cardiff Funeral Service - a low improvement. Members of the public can cost quality funeral service provided by a be assured that an authority that has local Funeral Director for a fixed price. adopted the Charter is committed to Statutory Public Health Act funerals and providing excellent service designed to permitted exhumations are administered meet their needs. through the service. There is general support for the bereaved, with advice and Bereavement Services are responsible for education on general bereavement related the delivery of burial, cremation and issues. This advice and support service memorial services for over 4000 funerals helps approximately 2000 people a year. a year. It employs 44 full time staff (22 Awareness of the rights of the bereaved is Manual 22 Administrative) and 9 seasonal raised through open days, public seminars temporary employees (full time from and speaking events for local community March to October) groups. Bereavement Services ensure the

service meets the needs of religious and The service manages a crematorium and ethnic groups within Cardiff, including the 7 operational cemeteries, with the largest provision of a 7-day a week burial service establishments being situated at Thornhill, for those with a cultural need for this Western, Cathays and Pantmawr. It is service. estimated that over 700,000 members of the public visit the sites each year through The service maintenance work includes attending services and/or tending graves. managing wildlife and conservation areas within older parts of some cemeteries and

Page 10 of 25 Report of the Community and Adult Services Scrutiny Committee Task & Finish Inquiry - Bereavement Strategy ______organising walking and education visits to Budget cemetery and memorial sites. The service The Service had a Gross Overall also manages and maintains the war Expenditure Budget 2003/2004 of memorials and many of the statues £2,025,810. throughout Cardiff. Budget Budget Narrative 2003/04 2004/05 £ £ Genealogical information relating to the Employees 585,110 552,020 250,000 burial and cremation records are Premises 251,690 247,350 held at the Thornhill site and, upon Transport 15,060 15,060 request, information can be supplied for Supplies & Services 322,420 346,450 individual or family enquiries. Third Party Computerisation of these records is an Payments 643,320 633,190 ongoing process. Provision and Support Services 145,660 127,840 development of this service is becoming Capital more significant as this hobby continues Financing Costs 113,450 103,900 to grow in popularity. Servicing this hobby Gross Expenditure 2,076,710 2,025,810 could create a new income stream for the service. Income 1,507,550 1,550,110

'Net Cost to Bereavement Services are currently Council' 569,160 475,700 undertaking a 5-year rolling programme of inspection of the 45,000-plus memorials Legislation within the cemeteries to assess their There are a large number of Acts etc that condition and level of safety. This is in line govern this provision: - with the minimum requirement recommended by the Health and Safety Local Authorities Cemeteries Order 1977 Executive to ensure that the Council The Cremation Act 1902 & 1952 complies with its duty to manage risk in The Cremation Regulations 1930 their cemeteries under the Health and Births & Deaths Registration Act 1953 Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. Coroners Act 1980

Data Protection Act 1984

Local Government Act 1972

Public Health Control of Disease Act 1984

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Guiding Principles of Burial & Cremation The Department for Environment, Food and Authorities Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has published a The Code of Cremation Practice additional guidance note AQ1(05) in Pollution Prevention and Control (England January 2005, that makes amendments to and Wales) Regulations 2000, SI 1973. the statutory guidance on crematoria under regulation 37 of the Pollution Prevention The most significant of these is the Local and Control (England and Wales) Authorities Cemeteries Order 1977 Regulations 2000, SI 1973. It requires that (LACO) that sets the parameters under all crematoria reduce their mercury which municipal cemeteries operate emissions by 50 % by 31st December 2012. today. LACO allows considerable It also requires that they notify the management discretion to such appropriate authority, by the 31st December cemeteries and contains a wide range of 2005, how they propose to achieve this provisions and significantly including the reduction. following: • Burial authorities may enclose, layout Under LACO Cardiff Council is a Burial and embellish a cemetery as they see Authority and as such can pass local fit, and must keep it in good order regulations to control practices in the together with its buildings, walls and Authority’s cemeteries etc. These have fences. been collated into one document, ‘The • There is a discretionary provision to Cemetery Regulations’, which was last provide a chapel reviewed in 1996. • The cost of removal of unauthorised memorials may be recovered against Position of Cardiff in the national league the person responsible or their table personal representative. The only nationally recognised • Fees may be charged at the discretion benchmarking process for cemetery and of the burial authority for burials, crematorium services is the Charter for the memorials and inscriptions. Bereaved that has been adopted by Cardiff • Graves and memorials may be and is administered by the Institute of maintained, and the surface of any Cemetery and Crematorium Management grave levelled, with an identification (ICCM). mark if required. Tombstones and memorials may be removed.

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At present Cardiff is ranked 22 out of 82 stakeholders such as local Funeral Authorities that provide both burial and Directors, Monumental Masons, and Clergy cremation facilities. The authority is who represented the cross-section of the ranked lower in the table for the religions that use Cardiff’s facilities. The component element, of the service. Task & Finish Group also received responses from Natural Death Society, INQUIRY METHODOLOGY South Wales Cemeteries Bench Marking Group, Llwydcoed Crematorium, and

Scrutiny Services seeks to include the considered a range of research material service areas fully in the process of the derived from the Internet. scrutiny inquiry. The aim is to ensure there is dialogue with the service areas ISSUES ARISING FROM THE involved in the scrutiny process with the INQUIRY ultimate aim of improving overall service delivery and enabling effective scrutiny. This inquiry produced a large number of The inquiry project plan for this scrutiny findings and these have been grouped was completed with assistance and together below by issue; advice from Highways and Parks – the service area that has Bereavement Service Provision Services as one of its operational units. 1. Bereavement Services should be The Task & Finish Group received a considered a significant Council Service background-briefing report outlining the as it handles visits from over 700,000 details of Bereavement Services in residents and non-residents each year. Cardiff, and providing an overview of the To put this in context the user figures for issues surrounding the delivery of this Cardiff’s busiest leisure centre are just service both now and in the future. over 500,000 in an average year. Yet

The Task and Finish Group received this service does not appear in any of evidence from Cardiff County Council the Council’s overarching policy Highways and Parks service area, documents such as the Cardiff undertook visits to both a number of the Community Strategy 2004-2014, Council’s own facilities and to the Local although there is a commitment in the Authority crematorium at Coychurch near Corporate Plan 2004-05 to – ‘Produce a Bridgend, as well as hearing from key bereavement strategy to review the

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crematorium and cemetery provision Sikh 5 for Cardiff’. Serbian 1 Orthodox 2. The Bereavement services staff were Greek 1 praised by the witnesses for their Orthodox helpfulness and the quality and the Muslim 50 Total 82 service that they deliver to the

bereaved family, and how well they 4. The Task and Finish group found that work with the professionals involved in there was a poor knowledge, amongst the delivery of funeral services and the witnesses, of the City of Cardiff memorial provision. Funeral Service, which provides a

basic funeral package at a competitively 3. Feedback from a questionnaire sent to tendered price. Suggesting that more the clergy suggests that the Council is effective marketing is needed to ensure providing a service to suit the needs of that its benefits are made known to the different religions. A recent service everyone. development by Bereavement

Services has been seven day a week 5. Both the funeral directors and the clergy burials, as Muslims prefer to bury their commented on the complexity of the dead within 24 hours, this is at odds forms that need completion by the with the Cemetery Regulations that bereaved family and the availability of stipulate no burials are permitted on easy to understand literature to advise Saturday, Sunday or Holidays, so the bereaved on the steps to take and these will now have to be revised. the options available to both arrange a Ethnic Funerals accounted for nearly funeral and how to wind up the 2% of the total (April 03 - March 04) - deceased’s affairs. The Task and Finish 82 out a total of 4202 services for the Group sought feedback from the South whole period. This includes Muslim, Wales Cemetery Authority Hindu, Sikh, Jewish and Buddhist split Benchmarking Group about the idea of as follows: standardising the format of the Hindu 9 paperwork. They reported that although Buddhist 6 draft documents have been prepared to Jewish 10 date, the group’s members had not

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agreed them for adoption. The Task There are additional benefits with this and Finish Group also looked at scheme as the criteria are directly linked publications by other Local Authority into the EFQM model and the ISO9000 crematorium/cemetery authorities and standard, both of which are already in noted that one had adopted the use of use by the Council. the Plain English Campaign’s the ‘Crystal Mark’. This scheme ensures Crematorium Issues that a form is written in simple 8. The condition of the crematorium language making it easy to buildings at Thornhill was described as understand and can help to ensure ‘poor’ by several witnesses and even as that the message gets across. ‘inappropriate for a Capital city in the 21st Century’. The T & F group noted 6. The witness statement from the the following during their tour of Natural Death Centre was Thornhill crematorium: complimentary of the range of • the main building looks very bleak services and options that are available and grey, from Bereavement Services and the • only the small chapel contains work that is undertaken by the staff to stained glass, promote these options. • both chapels lack catafalques, • it does not have a separate building 7. Cardiff’s 2004 assessment by the to house the Book of Remembrance, Institute of Cemetery & Crematorium • there is water damage to the walls Management under the Charter for the inside and outside main building due Bereaved placed them 22nd from 82 to the leaking roof, in the league table of authorities that • the electrical system is well below provide both burial and cremation modern standards, and needs a th services, 25 from 123 for burial dedicated supply – The Task and th services only, and 26 from 90 for Finish Group heard that power crematorium services only. The failures during cremations are not Service Area suggested that the uncommon. Council’s could improve its position, to • the layout of the rooms makes one more appropriate for a Capital handling the funeral parties difficult, City, if it adopted the ICCM’s especially as the room that houses Excellence Recognition Scheme.

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the Book of Remembrance is group noted that it has an attractive a- located at the exit from the main religious main building with stained chapel. glass windows, a well planned room • there is limited office space layout, a separate building for the Book available for the staff and no Of Remembrance, that it was set in suitable room for meeting with landscaped grounds, covered flower bereaved families is available. viewing areas, and catafalques in both • the lack of a suitable raised chapels. Another notable difference was platform for the floral tributes. the staff offices that are purpose built

and include appropriate rooms to have meetings with bereaved families; these are not available at Thornhill.

Views of Coychurch Main Chapel (Below)

View of Thornhill Crematorium

9. The visit to Coychurch crematorium, which is over 30 years old, highlighted the differences.

View of Coychurch Crematorium

During the tour of Coychurch crematorium the Task and Finish

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Views of Thornhill’s Main Chapel (Below) facilities at Thornhill have been an influencing factor for some bereaved families in choosing to have their service and cremation outside Cardiff. • Makes the continued delivery of high quality funeral services difficult for both the staff and the professionals involved. As the building continues to deteriorate there will be an increase in the impact on the Services. These presently range from flooding at the entrance to the main chapel, power cuts, water falling on the mourners during services, and light bulbs blowing weekly.

10. Financial Services confirmed that the Council has not invested any Capital The deterioration of the facilities at Funding in any cemeteries or the Thornhill crematorium is likely to have a crematorium facilities at Thornhill for as number of effects: far as records go back. • Creates a negative impression of Cardiff and the Council to the 11. The last development project at the thousands of visitors and residents crematorium was the upgrading, due to that attend funerals each year. legislation, of the cremators in 1999 that • Reduces potential to compete with was funded fully by the Crematorium the neighbouring facilities, which is Improvement Fund. This fund is likely to be exacerbated if the generated from the charges for application to build a new private cremations, which include a small crematorium in the Vale of surcharge for this fund, it is anticipated Glamorgan gets approval. The that it will contain £500,000 by the end Funeral Director witnesses of the financial year 2004/5. reported that the condition of the

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Cemetery Issues the issue of lack of burial space. It is 12. The Service Area reported that both of anticipated that the Home Office, the city’s largest cemeteries, Thornhill following its Burial Law and Policy in the and Western Cemetery, are running 21st Century consultation exercise in short of space for new burials. It is 2004, will publish guidance on grave anticipated that within 3-4 years reuse as part of the findings. If the Thornhill cemetery will be full, closely Council subsequently needs to develop followed by Western cemetery and a policy on this matter, then careful within 5 years there will be no space consideration of all aspects of this left for new burials. This situation has emotive topic will be required. been accelerated by Cardiff’s development, which has seen the 14. During the 50 years since the last population of Cardiff increase by over cemetery opened in Cardiff, it appears, 95,000 since the last cemetery at no consideration has been given to Thornhill was opened in 1953. providing any additional cemetery Although the UDP makes reference to facility in the City. The Section 106 the need for additional cemetery agreements that are made under space, unlike the preceding Local planning obligations on new Plan, it makes no commitment to build developments have not considered the one. There is land at both Thornhill impact on this service and therefore no and Western cemetery that is additional money has been received to available for extension of both sites, develop this essential service as it but both of these will require Capital would do for parks and play areas. investment to develop them before they can be made available for 15. From the comparison of the charges for burials. These extensions will provide both burial and cremation services in an estimated 12 – 15 years capacity Wales, Cardiff is competitive on burial at Thornhill and a further 15 years at charges but has the highest cremation Western Cemetery. charges. When compared nationally, Cardiff’s charges are low for cremation 13. Presently the reuse of grave space is and very low for burial plus the fact that not permitted in Cardiff but this has rights for graves are sold for shorter been the only way some other periods in Cardiff than in many other UK authorities have been able to deal with cities. A comparison of 2004/5 burial

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costs locally and Nationally is set out

in the table below.

Purchase Inter Memorial Total Local Fee Fee(2) Fee (£) Cardiff 359 339 inclusive 698.00 Caerphilly 147 306 75 529.00 Neath & Port Talbot 290 315 89 694.00 RCT 154 254 84.50 392.25 Swansea 345 87 55 487.00

Other Authorities Glasgow 561 460 102 1123.00 Bristol 520 460 129 1109.00 415.50 593.60 196.60 1205.70 Gloucester (50 years) Carlisle 523 345 56.25 924.25 Leicester 300 300 81 681.00 Peterborough 780 350 50 1180.00 Manchester 440 530 inclusive 970.00 Liverpool 683 523 inclusive 1211.00 Coventry 580 385 143 1108.00 Eastbourne 430 570 70 1070.00 Birmingham 1225.50 405 112.50 1743.00 Harrogate 630 392 113 1135.00 448 393 109 950.00 Sheffield (30 years) 1464 inclusive inclusive 1464.00 City of London (50 years)

16. During the tour of the Council’s permitted under the regulations. This facilities the T & F group were shown situation has developed over a number examples of unauthorised of years due in part to the difficulty and memorialisation and the pilot scheme sensitivity in the application of the that is being run in Pantmawr Regulations. The pilot scheme has been cemetery to regulate this issue more very successful and the Service Area effectively. The Council’s Cemetery now want to extend it to all the Regulations detail the permitted form cemeteries, to achieve this a change and style of memorialisation for the would have to be made to the Cemetery various cemetery sections. Bereaved Regulations. Below is a view of a lawn families have adorned the grave section at Thornhill cemetery showing spaces with plantings, fences, gravel the range of materials have been used and a range of objects such as plastic by bereaved families to adorn the grave ornaments, all of which are not spaces.

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bereaved family by the introduction of better walk boards and the use of portable shelters that could be put up in advance of the service.

18. The questionnaire also asked the clergy to comment about the idea of introducing grave reuse in Cardiff Thornhill Cemetery Lawn Section cemeteries, the majority of the respondents were in support of the idea These unauthorised objects create a but most suggested that the issue number of problems: should be given carefully and sensitive • Increased health and safety risk consideration before being introduced. • Aesthetic appearance of the section 19. The issue of memorialisation also brings • Increased difficulty to maintain with it the issue of memorial safety. As grass areas grave rights holders themselves die the responsibility for these older memorials Below is a view of the lawn section at falls to the Local Authority. The Health Pantmawr cemetery where the memorial and Safety Executive recommend that regulation scheme is being piloted the Local Authority inspect the condition

and stability of all memorials at least

once every five years. This inspection

programme is presently carried out on a

rolling programme to achieve the

minimum requirement. Both the Service

Area and the witness from the

monumental masons highlighted that

the National Association of Memorial

Masons (NAMM) is now running a 17. The majority of the clergy asked for British Register of Accredited Masons consideration to be given to improving (BRAMM) that’s aim is to ensure that the conditions graveside during both Local Authorities and the public services for both them and the only get work from registered memorial

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masons that are qualified to a high opened in 1859 as a Garden Cemetery standard of workmanship and are and contains many interesting historical suitably insured. The Monumental features. It has been closed for burial Mason witness who was a member of since 1989 even though there are NAMM suggested that Cardiff should potentially 2000 more grave spaces be adopted the requirement for all available, although burials in family memorial masons to be BRAMM graves do still take place. It is possible registered before they are permitted to for the Authority to re-open the work in Cardiff’ cemeteries, as this cemetery and if there is a change in could potentially reduce the future legislation to allow re-use of grave it is cost to the Council of making possible that this could defer the need memorials safe as new memorials will for a new Cardiff cemetery. This have been installed to NAMM cemetery also contains Grade II listed approved standards. Bereavement Chapels that have been closed since Services has run its own ‘Approval 1987. These buildings have since been Scheme’ since 1995 and only allows allowed to become derelict and if no Monumental Masons that have action is taken will deteriorate to a point passed all the criteria to work in the of being unsafe. The other chapel on city’s cemeteries, this scheme also this site has already been demolished. requires that all memorials should be A preliminary feasibility study on these erected to NAMM approved buildings has been undertaken on standards. Although at this time they restoring these buildings and proposes are not controlled fully by the present to make one chapel available again for Cemetery Regulations, undertaking a funeral services, and to develop the review could rectify this situation. The other chapel as a community facility last review of the Regulations was with a catering facility. This facility could undertaken in 1996. then be available for post funeral service refreshments, community 20. The T & F Group visited Cathays meetings, and cater for groups that are cemetery during its tour and undertaking genealogy studies or are on undertook part of the heritage trial the heritage trail around the cemetery. around the site. During this visit the T This scheme would require capital & F Group discovered that Cathays, investment by the Council but grants the oldest in Cardiff, was originally

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and other funding are likely to be training. This issue has been raised as available. requiring review with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister by the Local Government Association but the response was disappointing but discussions are still on going.

22. The Department of The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) published an advisory note AQ1(05), in View of part of Cathays Chapel January 2005, that constitutes an amendment to the statutory guidance Legislative Issues under regulation 37 of the Pollution 21. The Service Area highlighted that in Prevention and Control (England and recent years it has not been possible Wales) Regulations 2000, SI 1973 that to get permission to implement the will require all existing crematoria to be initial phases of the planned fitted with equipment to reduce the programme of improvements for the mercury emissions by 50% by the end crematorium that had been identified of 2012. It also requires each cremation in earlier building surveys, even authority to notify the appropriate though there was sufficient money in regulator by 31st December as to its the Crematorium Improvement Fund. proposed approach to compliance with Financial Services confirmed that this new guidance. there is a restriction on the work that can be carried out on the crematorium LEGAL IMPLICATIONS due to the 5% limit of the Council’s

total input tax on the Council’s VAT The Scrutiny Committee is empowered to exempt services. In recent years the enquire, consider, review and recommend Council’s priority has been to use this but not to make policy decisions. As the allowance on schemes from the other recommendations in this report are to areas that are also restricted by this consider and review matters there are no VAT regulation, these are 1) Land and direct legal implications. However, legal property transactions, 2) Pre-school implications may arise if and when the education, 3) Adult education and

Page 22 of 25 Report of the Community and Adult Services Scrutiny Committee Task & Finish Inquiry - Bereavement Strategy ______matters under review are implemented with or without any modifications. Any report with recommendations for decision that goes to Cabinet/Council will set out any legal implications arising from those recommendations. All decisions taken by or on behalf the Council must (a) be within the legal powers of the Council; (b) comply with any procedural requirement imposed by law; (c) be within the powers of the body or person exercising powers of behalf of the Council; (d) be undertaken in accordance with the procedural requirements imposed by the Council e.g. Scrutiny Procedure Rules; (e) be fully and properly informed; (f) be properly motivated; (g) be taken having regard to the Council's fiduciary duty to its taxpayers; and (h) be reasonable and proper in all the circumstances

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

There are no direct financial implications arising from this report. However, financial implications may arise if and when the matters under review are implemented with or without any modifications.

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COMMUNITY AND ADULT SERVICES COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP

Councillor Brian Finn,(Chairperson)

Councillor Cath Bewes Councillor Margaret Jones

Councillor Ed Bridges Councillor Vaughan Gething Councillor Brendan Parsons

Councillor Jayne Cowan Councillor Richard Jerrett Councillor Robert Smith

Terms of Reference of The Community & Adult Services

Scrutiny Committee

To scrutinise, measure and actively promote improvement in the Authority’s performance in the provision of services and compliance with Authority’s policies, aims and objectives in the area of community and adult services, including the following:

• Community Care • Adult Education & Training • Social housing and housing improvement • Community Renewal schemes

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• Community Leisure Services • Asylum Seekers • Other issues relating to community and adults

To assess the impact of partnerships with and resources and services provided by external organisations including the National Assembly for Wales, Assembly Sponsored Public Bodies and quasi-departmental non-governmental bodies on the effectiveness of Authority’s service delivery. To report to an appropriate Cabinet or Council meeting on its findings and to make recommendations on measures which may enhance the Authority’s performance in this area.

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