Proposals for major investment in the future provision of services offered to bereaved families in the Bradford district will be discussed at a meeting of Bradford Council’s Executive.
Around 3,800 funerals per year are carried out at three crematoria and 24 cemeteries owned and managed by Bradford Council.
All three crematoria buildings (Scholemoor, Nab Wood and Oakworth) are over 110 years old and all have limited facilities and capacity particularly within the chapels, whilst access to both Nab Wood and Scholemoor has been described as less than satisfactory.
The district’s cremators are close to 20 years old resulting in maintenance costs rising in each of the last three years due to their age and the cost of replacement parts.
The report recommends that the executive approve proposals for a purpose built facility within the next two to three years in the south of Bradford to replace Scholemoor Crematorium followed by a further new built facility in the Keighley/Shipley area of the district within the next three to five years to replace Nab Wood. It is proposed to then consider replacement of the existing cremator at Oakworth Crematorium with a mercury filtering cremator.
The report also considers the availability of burial space and suggests that although there is adequate general capacity within the district at current demand for over 25 years, investment is needed to prepare identified land for the continuation of the Muslim Burial Ground at Scholemoor beyond 2021.
Further recommendations are made to assess the condition of the district’s 24 cemeteries and 44 closed churchyards. The report suggests that funding will need to be identified to deliver a programme of ‘invest to save’ repair work to allow a sustainable maintenance regime to be adopted.
Councillor Sarah Ferriby Bradford Council’s Executive Member responsible for the Council’s Bereavement Service, said: “It is important that we invest in future provision to make sure we can continue to provide the professional, caring and flexible service needed by grieving families in the district.”
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