Agenda and draft minutes

NORTH DEVON CREMATORIUM JOINT COMMITTEE

 

A virtual meeting of the above Committee will be held on FRIDAY 6^th NOVEMBER 2020 AT 2.30 p.m.

 

Members:       Representing North Devon Council

 

Councillors Bulled, Cann (Vice Chairman), Davis, Gubb, Lovering, Phillips and Walker

 

                        Representing Torridge District Council

 

Councillors Christie, Gubb, Harding, A. Inch (Chairman) and Pennington.

 

AGENDA

 

1.         Apologies for Absence.

 

2.         To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 7^th August

            2020 (attached).

 

            (a)       Matters Arising

 

3.         Items brought forward which, in the opinion of the Chairman, should be considered by the meeting as a matter of urgency.

 

4.         Declarations of Interest.

 

5.         To agree the agenda between Part ‘A’ and Part ‘B’ (Confidential Restricted Information).

 

PART ‘A’

 

6.         Crematorium Matters. Report by the Crematorium Manager (attached)

 

7.         Performance Monitoring Quarter 2 2020/21. Report by Treasurer (attached)

 

8.         Proposed dates of Future meetings 2021/2022

 

            Recommended that the following dates be agreed:

 

            Friday 11^th June 2021 @ 2.30 p.m.

Friday 6^th August 2021 @ 2.30 p.m.

Friday 5^th November 2021 @ 2.30 p.m.

            Friday 4^th February 2022 @ 2.30 p.m.

 

9.         To note that the next virtual Crematorium Joint Committee meeting will be on Friday 5^th February 2021 @ 2.30 p.m..

 

 

PART ‘B’ (Confidential/Restricted Information)

 

Nil

 

 

 

NOTE:  Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985

 

In addition to any document specifically mentioned, reports included in this Agenda will have been prepared with reference to any or all of the following:

 

1.         All relevant statutory provisions.

2.         All relevant Government circulars and ministerial advice.

3.         All relevant adopted policies of the Council.

4.         Capital Works Programme.

5.         Current Estimates.

6.         Standing Orders

7.         Consultants’ opinion and advice.

8.         Published works relevant to the subject of the report.

 

 

NORTH DEVON COUNCIL

 

Minutes of a virtual meeting of the NORTH DEVON CREMATORIUM JOINT COMMITTEE held on Friday 6^th November 2020 at 2.30 p.m.

 

Present:         Representing North Devon District Council

 

Councillors Cann, Davis, Y.Gubb and Phillips

 

                        Representing Torridge District Council

 

Councillors Christie, J.Gubb, Inch (Chairman) and Pennington

 

                        Officers

 

Crematorium Manager, Treasurer, Secretary and Accountant.

 

(a)       APOLOGIES

 

Apologies were received from Councillor Lovering

 

(b)       MINUTES

 

(i)         RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 7^th August 2020 (previously circulated) be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

 

(ii)        Matters Arising – There were no matters arising

 

(c)       DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

 

There were no declarations of interest declared

 

(d)       CREMATORIUM MATTERS

 

The Joint Committee considered a report by the Crematorium Manager (previously circulated).

 

i)          Solar Panels

 

It was noted that the North Devon Council surveyor working on Crematorium projects had left the authority and that this would cause delays in investigating this and other projects.

 

ii)         Covid Crisis Update

 

It was noted:

 

a)    That the number of mourners was now set at 30 (statutory limit) which was unlikely to change in the near future.

 

b)    That Post-funeral events are limited to 15 people with a local decision that a maximum of 6 people are allowed for a witnessed burial of ashes (restrictions due to narrow paths).

 

c)    That Government legislation in early October allowed a person confirmed as having the Covid19 virus to travel to attend the funeral of a close relative. Following legal advice and having consulted with the Joint Committee chair, it was decided to decline access to the crematorium as it severely breached the entire safety regime of the site and placed the staff and elderly mourners in particular at great risk.

 

d)    That Screens had been added to the lectern and stand-alone (family eulogy) microphone to enhance the protection afforded by the current 2-metre distancing.

 

e)    That some internal staff distancing measures had also been introduced (additional computer, moving a shared printer, an additional rest room) to ensure that in the event a staff member tests positive the entire team would not be required to self-isolate.

 

f)     That currently any second wave was expected to peak in January/February, but the projected ‘reasonable worst case’ projections were comfortably within the crematorium’s capacity.

 

g)    That the crematorium had not had any Covid related funerals for over 20 weeks.

 

iii)        Achievements

 

That an entire site/building survey was being conducted in mid-November for the first time since 1966. This would assist with any future works.

 

iv)        Metals Recycling Charity Award

 

That Clarity had been nominated for the next award (January 2021) as

previously reported.

 

Subsequent nomination list:

 

Calvert Trust

Over and Above (Cancer & Wellbeing Centre)

Families in Grief

North Devon Children’s Holiday Foundation

North Devon Hospice

Cruse

Children’s Hospice SW

Over and Above (North Devon Hospital – Maternity Unit Bereavement Suite)

Clarity

 

That no further additions would be considered prior to February 2022.

 

v)         Crematorium Figures

 

The Cremation figures were  ...  view the full minutes text for item 30.