Issue - meetings

The Chair introduced this item which had been referred to this Committee from   Council, which, at its meeting on 15^th December 2020, had received a Petition requesting that a bench be placed at Wigginton Cemetery.  At the Council meeting, the Leader of the Council, Councillor D Cook, proposed and the following motion was approved:

“To refer the policy to corporate scrutiny for immediate review and make all officer time required available to fully understand the impacts of the policy and ensure corporate scrutiny can get this done by the end of January so not to prolong the matter further for Keeley‘s family.”

The Chair reported that this Committee had met on 18^th January 2021 to consider this matter, and that following consideration had resolved that a further meeting of this Committee be scheduled to consider this matter further, and that members submit any questions and any requests for further information ahead of that meeting.

The Chair welcomed the Executive Director, Organisation, Assistant Director, Operations and Leisure and the Operations Manager to the meeting.

The Committee considered the Cemeteries Regulations, the available burial space for the Borough, which was expected to be sufficient for the next 80 years, any future long term provision of cemetery space, the extent of any available space within existing cemeteries where memorial benches could be placed, the requirement to regularly review policies and the potential for alternative memorial gardens to be explored.

RESOLVED:

1. That the Cemeteries Policy is referred back to full Council with a recommendation to leave the policy unchanged.

(Moved by Councillor S Goodall and seconded by Councillor M Oates)

2. That it be recommended to Cabinet that Cabinet consult with the wider public investigating an alternative scheme of memorialisation and to further look at whether it is feasible and maintainable.

(Moved by Councillor B Price and seconded by Councillor Dr S Peaple)

3. That it be recommended to Cabinet that the Cemeteries Regulations be reviewed on a regular basis, as to be agreed by Cabinet.

(Moved by Councillor P Standen and seconded by Councillor Dr S Peaple)

The following motion was moved, seconded and voted on but not carried:

That the Corporate Scrutiny Committee recommend to Cabinet that Cabinet explore creating a civic memorial garden to provide an opportunity for families to remember their relatives.

(Moved by Councillor Dr S Peaple and seconded by Councillor R Bilcliff)

(Report of the Leader of the Council)

The Chair reported that at the Council meeting on 15^th December 2020, a petition was received requesting that a bench be placed at Wigginton Cemetery.  At that meeting, the Leader of the Council, proposed, and the following motion was approved:

That Council referred the policy to corporate scrutiny for immediate review and make all officer time required available to fully understand the impacts of the policy and ensure corporate scrutiny can get this done by the end of January so not to prolong the matter further for Keeley‘s family.

As a consequence this additional meeting of the Corporate Scrutiny Committee had been scheduled to review the policy.

The Chair invited Councillor D Cook to introduce the report.

Councillor Cook highlighted to the Committee that whilst Tamworth’s cemeteries had been governed by regulations since 1908, the first reference to memorial benches within the regulation was in the 1998.  In 2007 all applications for memorial benches and trees were suspended pending a review due to the number of requests received.  In 2010 the current Cemetery Regulations were approved, which set out that no memorial benches or trees could be placed, and introduced a plaque scheme.

Councillor Cook reported that since that point Officers had been implementing that policy.  However, following the petition received, this Committee was asked to review whether the policy remained correct.

The Assistant Director, Operations and Leisure, highlighted to members that the documentation provided included details of the existing benches and their placement in the borough’s cemeteries.

The Committee sought clarification in the following areas:

·       The numbers of requests for memorial benches received since 2007.  It was reported that around 2010 there were quite a lot of requests, however, since then the number of requests had dwindled because it was known what the policy was.  However, more recently, 6 or 7 families had contacted the council to ask if we were reviewing our policy after seeing the petition from the Bunker family.

·       The Committee requested data on the average number of requests for memorial benches received in an average year prior to 2010.

·       The Committee sought and received clarification that the current Policy on memorial benches and trees did extend to areas outside of the five cemeteries.

·       The Committee sought information on the burial spaces which were available in the borough’s five cemeteries, and it was reported that one cemetery was closed, and of the remaining four there were approximately 20-30 spaces at Glascote, 100-150 spaces at Amington, 100-150 spaces at Wilnecote, and the largest number of spaces was at Wigginton.

·       The Committee sought information on the extent to which the plaque scheme had been used and it was reported that there had been little uptake for this, which was understood to be because the designated granite benches where the plaques were placed were in a separate reflection area.

·       Clarification was sought as to whether the number of burial plots was reduced as a result of the placement of memorial benches in the cemeteries.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 55