Wolverhampton City Council

Transcription

1 Agenda Item No: 5B Wolverhampton City Council OPEN EXECUTIVE DECISION ITEM (AMBER) Cabinet / Cabinet Panel CABINET (RESOURCES) PANEL Date 21 FEBRUARY 2012 Portfolio(s) Originating Service Group(s) CITY SERVICES (COUNCILLOR BOB JONES) CITY SERVICES (BEREAVEMENT SERVICES) Contact Officer(s)/ S WRIGHT Telephone Number(s) EXT 4998 KEY DECISION: IN FORWARD PLAN: YES/NO YES/NO Title REVIEW OF FEES AND CHARGES FOR BEREAVEMENT SERVICES 2012/13 Recommendation Members are recommended to: (i) (ii) (iii) Note the strategy adopted to secure and resource the future sustainability of Bereavement Services as outlined in Section 2; To approve the proposed revisions to fees and charges as detailed in Section 3 and Appendix A to be implemented from To note the impact of the proposed revisions to fees and charges on the Bereavement Services Reserve Fund; the ability to maintain the agreed level of investment required to sustain on-going contributions to the Savings Programme and service delivery improvements.

2 BEREAVEMENT SERVICES FEES AND CHARGES 2012/ PURPOSE OF REPORT 1.1 To note the current financial position of Bereavement Services and the impact of proposed limited increases to the existing fees and charges to maintain the Bereavement Services Reserve Fund in order to sustain investment in the future delivery of the service and to deliver on-going contributions to the Savings Programme. 1.2 To obtain approval for the proposed revisions to existing charges outlined in Appendix A, to be implemented from BACKGROUND 2.1 Prior to 1998, Bereavement Services was operated at a deficit of over 360,000 per annum and there was no strategy in place to maintain existing services or address future investment needs. 2.2 Over a number of years, business planning principles have been applied to both existing and planning for the future delivery of these services in Wolverhampton. This has resulted in significant rationalisation to the financial basis of current and future service delivery, reducing the reliance on the General Fund and the establishment of a Reserve Fund, where any surpluses generated, over and above agreed contributions to General Fund, are reinvested back into the service. This process has also included a review of the whole structure of the fees and charges. 2.3 The annual review of charges agreed in 2009/10 was undertaken to maintain this strategy in order to sustain the service and ensure the required level of investment into the Reserve Fund to support the proposed extension to Bushbury Cemetery and the replacement of the cremators and fitting of mercury abatement plant at Bushbury Crematorium. Fees and charges across all areas of the service therefore took account of this and were increased accordingly. 2.4 The 2010/11 review of fees and charges took into account the previous year s above inflationary increases and resulted in no change to the main burial and cremation fees, with some adjustments made to charges for memorials. 3.0 PROPOSED FEES AND CHARGES 3.1 This report makes proposals for charges that will continue to support the Council s Savings Programme, whilst maintaining the viability of the Bereavement Services Reserve Fund by ensuring continued investment in the service. 3.2 No increases are again proposed to the current burial fees for 2012/13, on the basis that our fees are above the average currently levied by our nearest neighbours. However, a 7.5% increase in the current cremation fee from 522 to 561 will compare favourably against our nearest neighbours and will generate an estimated additional income of 90, Appendix B summarises this position in respect of the proposed charges for the main services, and shows that the proposed cremation fee still compares favourably with our Black Country neighbours.

3 3.4 All memorial charges have been reviewed in line with supplier cost increases and their popularity and have been adjusted accordingly. 3.5 The creation of a natural burial area on the extension to Bushbury Cemetery has led to a new fee being required for this option. Market research has indicated that fees for this type of burial are generally cheaper than a traditional grave, due to not being able to erect a memorial and graves only being able to accommodate one coffin. It is therefore proposed to initially set the exclusive right fee at 750 and the interment fee at FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS 4.1 Table 1 below sets out the impact of implementing the proposed fees and charges detailed in Appendix A, against the known investment expenditure commitments and assumes the same level of demand for services. Table 1: Impact on the Reserve Fund 2011/ s 2012/ s 2013/ s Opening Balance ( ) Estimated Transfer to Reserve Fund Balance Available (at ) Deduct Outstanding Projects (approx) 116 New Projects (approx) Reserve Fund Balance (approx) [CH/ /Z] 5.0 LEGAL IMPLICATIONS 5.1 The Council as a Burial Authority may charge such fees as it thinks proper (Schedule 27, Local Government Act 1972) and fixes fees and charges for cremation services (Schedule 30, Local Government Act 1972). [FD/ /F]. 6.0 EQUALITIES 6.1 The service endeavours to cater for any special religious and cultural needs as detailed within the service s work programme and is available for all residents of Wolverhampton. 6.2 The investment programme funded through the Bereavement Services Reserve Fund has enabled the Council to improve accessibility to services in line with the Disability Discrimination Act ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS 7.1 The Environmental Protection Act 1990 requires strict controls and monitoring of emissions from the crematorium.

4 7.2 During 2005, the government reviewed its guidance notes for operators, with 50% of all cremations that take place in this country required to be subject to mercury abatement by Wolverhampton opted to fit the necessary abatement plant at the same time as replacing the cremators at Bushbury Crematorium with the work having been completed in September 2011.

5 APPENDIX A: PROPOSED FEES AND CHARGES FOR 2012/13 Current Charges Proposed Charges (rounded) (rounded) Cremation Charges Cremation of: 1a Child 16 years and under Nil Nil 1b A person 17 years and over c A person 17 years and over with extended chapel service d NVF, organs and other body parts removed during post mortem e Cremation Disposal Certificate Burial charges 2a Exclusive right of burial for 75 yrs (persons 17yrs and over) 1, , Includes temporary memorial and fee for permission to erect memorial 2b Interment fee for 1st and subsequent burials coffin depth coffin depth coffin depth coffin depth a Exclusive right of burial for 75 yrs (persons 16yrs and under) No charge No charge Only where buried in designated area for babies or elsewhere in single grave 3b Interment fee (persons 16 yrs and under) c Interment fee (NVF) Renewal of exclusive right for burial for further 25 yrs 4a if burial space remains b If no burial space remains Reservation fee a Exclusive right for grave in natural area for 75 yrs (17 yrs and n/a over) 6b Interment fee for natural burial area n/a Public Graves 5 Burial of persons who have died after reaching 17 yrs coffin depth only Burial of cremated remains 6a Exclusive right of burial for cremated remains for 75 yrs (persons yrs and over) 6b Exclusive right of burial for cremated remains for 75 yrs (persons 16 years and under) No charge No charge Only where buried in designated area for babies or elsewhere in single grave 6c Interment fee for 1st and subsequent burials (not witnessed) d Witness fee (cremated remains also woodland garden only) e 6f Interment fee for burial of 2 sets of cremated remains at the same time in one container As above in two containers Interment fee for cremated remains when burial takes place at i) 5' depth ii) 6'6" depth g Strewing of cremated remains when cremation took place other than at Bushbury Crematorium (charge for GOR and WG only) 6h Interment fee for burial of cremated remains of child 17yrs and under. 7 Renewal of exclusive right of burial for further 25 years 7a If burial space remains b If no burial space remains Reservation fee Vaults 8a Interment fee for any burial in vault b Exclusive right of burial for beacon hill chambers 1, , Welters grave vaults 8c Interment fee for beacon hill chambers Brick Graves (single & double walled chamber) 9a Exclusive right of burial 1, , ) 10 Interment fees(brick graves)

6 10a 1 coffin depth 1 st interment fee ) Construction service not available 10b 2 coffin depth interment fee ) 10c Subsequent interments ) Current Charges Proposed Charges (rounded) (rounded) Memorial Charges 11 Permission to erect the following memorials 11a Replacement memorial n/a b Headstone kerbing or horizontal tablets c Vase or scroll d Additional inscriptions e Ceramic photographs f Protective frames g Babies h Refurbishment Memorials 12a Memorial benches (including scroll) Additional scroll b Granite cross new (with choice of coloured lettering) Granite cross replacement (with choice of coloured lettering) Granite cross 2 lines additional inscription Granite cross 3 lines additional inscription c Bronze plaque - 9" x 12" (with one inscribed scroll) Bronze plaque 9 x 12 (with two inscribed scrolls) Bronze plaque 9 x 12 or 18 x 24 refurbishment d Plastic posy vase e Scrolls - inscribed f Scrolls blank g Arboria indoor plaques Bushbury (10 year lease) Text only Text with engraved motif Text with engraved /hand painted motif Text with ceramic portrait Replacement plaque with text Replacement plaque with text and photo Extended lease 10 years h Kerbstones - with 1 line of inscription Kerbstones - with 2 lines of inscription Kerbstones - additional 1 line of inscription Kerbstones - additional 2 lines of inscription j 12k 12l 12m 12n External Wall Plaques (200 x 80) small Bushbury New Memorial (10 year lease) Replacement Motif Photo External Wall Plaques (200 x 160) large Bushbury & Bilston New Memorial (10 year lease) Replacement Motif Photo Vaults (Bushbury & Bilston) New (20 year lease) Replacement Plaque Memorial Vase Blocks (Sandstone) Bushbury New (10 year lease) Replacement Motif Photo Memorial Vase Blocks (Marble) Bushbury & (Granite) New (10 year lease) Replacement

7 Memorials (Continued) Current Proposed Charges Charges (rounded) (rounded) 12o 12p 12q Memorial Planter (Bilston) New Replacement Urns. Bronze Double Red Urn White Marble Urn Copper Urn Blue Urn Biodegradable Urn White Stars Urn Masons Ironstone Urn Football Urn Wicker Urn Keepsake Miniature Urn Caskets Wooden caskets standard oak Wooden caskets classic oak Green marble Book of Remembrance 13a - 2 line entry b - 5 line entry c - 8 line entry d - Badge, Crest etc. - standard e - Badge, Crest etc. - special order Quotation Quotation Memorial Cards 14a - 2 line entry b - each additional line c - Badge, Crest etc. - standard d - Badge, Crest etc. - special order Quotation Quotation Miscellaneous Charges 15 Exhumations of coffin from grave - adult. 1, , a Child 5-16 yrs b Child under 5 yrs of age c Exhumations of cremated remains Exhumation of cremated remains from full grave d Exhumation of NVF e Use of Chapel for burial service f *Excess charge for late arrival at crematorium or cemetery Excess charge for late notice re coffin size (burial) Additional charge for incorrect information supplied by funeral directors eg, coffin sizes Additional charge for services over-running allotted time at crematorium *(Waiving of any of above charges is at the discretion of the Bereavement Services Manager) 15g Transfer grave ownership No charge for transfer to spouse or if no remaining burial space remains 16h Fee for search of registers Per hour per successful search

8 APPENDIX B: COMPARISON OF CEMETERY AND CREMATORIUM CHARGES IN WOLVERHAMPTON WITH NEAREST NEIGHBOURS Authority Exclusive right of burial including interment fee in a full grave Exclusive right of burial including interment of cremated remains Cremation (including organist) Wolverhampton Current 2,243 1, Proposed 2,243 1, Dudley Proposed 2,314 1, Sandwell Proposed 2,384 1, Walsall Proposed 2,502 1, Rotherham Current 1, Peterborough Current 1,673 1, Middlesborough Current 1,149 Do not provide 571 Gateshead Current Oldham Current 1, Coventry Current 1, (excludes organist) Salford Current 1, Derby Current 1, Stoke Current 1,960 1, Bolton Current 1, Hull Current 1, Rochdale Current 1,