Agenda and minutes

Venue: On site

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies

Minutes:

Apologies were received from Cllr.Mrs.P.James and Cllr.M.Reeves, Bridgend County Council.

2.

Appointment of Technical Officer

Minutes:

 

RESOLVED:

that Mr.G.Nutt be appointed Technical Officer of the Margam Joint Crematorium Committee following the recent retirement of Mr.J.S.Flower.

 

 

3.

Minutes of the previous meeting held on 26th September 2014 pdf icon PDF 94 KB

Minutes:

RESOLVED:

that the Minutes of the above mentioned meeting be confirmed as correct record of proceedings.

 

 

Matters Arising

 

Work is progressing in regard to Seat Benches and a report will be prepared for the next meeting of this Committee.

 

The Water Treatment – Sewerage Works screening is progressing with Mr.N.Thomas attending shortly to look at the types of trees to be planted taking into account the adjacent drains.

4.

Annual Budget Report pdf icon PDF 335 KB

Minutes:

Members were provided with the Margam Crematorium Joint Committee revised budget for 2014/15 and the Estimate for 2015/16 as detailed in the circulated report.

 

Members welcomed the very positive report and thanked the Treasurer and Officers for all the hard work undertaken that resulted in a positive budget position which has resulted in the Committee being able to increase the payment of the loan to Neath Port Talbot and to make a provision into a reserve fund.  Members noted that there was no proposed increase in the Cremation Fees but were supportive of the increases for ancillary service charges.

 

RESOLVED:

(a)     that approval be granted for the Revised Budget for 2014/15 as detailed in the circulated report.

 

(b)     that approval be granted for the Budget for 2015/16 as detailed in the circulated report.

 

(c)      the fees for 2015/16 be approved as detailed in Appendix 2 of the circulated report.

 

(d)     Members noted the position in relation to the Cremator Project and Reserve as detailed in the circulated report.

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.

Banking Arrangements pdf icon PDF 158 KB

Minutes:

Members were given an overview of the changes to the banking arrangements for Margam Crematorium as detailed in the circulated report.

 

RESOLVED:

(a)     that approval be granted for the changes to the banking arrangements for Margam Crematorium.

 

(b)     that all future income be transacted through the Council’s banker Santander and the bank account with Lloyds Bank closed.

 

(c)      that the development of arrangements for taking payment by cards be progressed.

 

 

6.

Federation of Burial and Cremation Authorities Audit pdf icon PDF 1 MB

Minutes:

Members were provided with the outcome of an audit undertaken at the Crematorium by the Federation of Burial and Cremation Authorities (FBCA) as detailed in the circulated report.

 

Members were pleased to receive a very positive report and asked the Superintendent and Registrar to forward the Committees thanks to all the staff concerned.  Crematorium housekeeping was identified as excellent with some recommendations being addressed.  Further reports will be provided in future to the Committee to ensure all the recommendations are being actioned.

 

RESOLVED:

(a)     that the recommendations in the FBCA be accepted.

 

(b)     that compliance be noted in recommendations 3,4,5 and 7.

 

(c)      that further reports be submitted to Committee to ensure that the remainder of the recommendations are dealt with.

 

 

7.

Federation of Burial and Cremation Authorities Document Amendments pdf icon PDF 1 MB

Minutes:

Members received a report advising of changes to documents that had been actioned in line with the Cremation Code of Practice as detailed in the circulated report.

 

RESOLVED:

that the report be noted.

 

8.

Christmas Memory Tree pdf icon PDF 131 KB

Minutes:

Members received a report advising of the placing of a Christmas Tree in the Chapel of Remembrance during December 2014 as detailed in the circulated report.

 

It was highlighted that the Remembrance Christmas Tree had been very well received and 400 cards placed on the tree.

 

RESOLVED:

that approval be granted for the Memory Tree to be provided in future years and for the remembrance cards to be retained for a period of 12 months ensuring that families are made aware of the timescale for retaining cards.

 

 

9.

Death Certification pdf icon PDF 134 KB

Minutes:

Members received a report advising them of further delays by Central Government in introducing a new system of death certification as detailed in the circulated report.

 

RESOLVED:

that the report be noted.

 

10.

Cremations - Cameo pdf icon PDF 130 KB

Minutes:

Members were provided with information on the number of cremations which had taken place since the re-opening of the Crematorium on the 17th March 2014 up until 31st December 2014 which has been forwarded to CAMEO, the body responsible for managing the fees relating to unabated/abated cremations as detailed in the circulated report.

 

RESOLVED:

that the report be noted.

 

11.

Applications for Cremations pdf icon PDF 25 KB

Minutes:

The circulated report contained statistical details for the period 1st July 2014 to 31st December 2014, whereby there had been 700 applications for cremations received and following the appropriate scrutiny and investigation, authority had been granted for cremations to proceed.

 

RESOLVED

that the report be noted

 

12.

Access to Meetings

Minutes:

RESOLVED:

that pursuant to Section 100A(4) and (5) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded for the following items of business which involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 12,13 and 14 of Part 4 of Schedule 12A to the above Act.

 

 

13.

Relief Cremator Operators

Minutes:

Members were provided with the options available to them in regard to the training for relief Cremator Operators as detailed in the private circulated report.

 

 

RESOLVED:

that consideration of the training of additional cremator operators be deferred to a Special Meeting of the Margam Joint Crematorium Committee which will be convened when necessary.

 

 

 

14.

Insurance Claim - Fire Damage

Minutes:

Members were provided with an update on the Insurance Claim as detailed in the private circulated report. 

 

 

RESOLVED:

that the report be noted.