Parndon Wood cemetery and crematorium is set to receive much needed future investment
- By Chris Clements
- Published 01/14/2011
- Harlow Information
PARNDON Wood Cemetery and Crematorium is set to receive much needed future investment after Harlow Council agreed to enter into a partnership with a private company.
Harlow Council's Executive Committee last night (13 January 2011) agreed to move forward with plans for the service to be managed under contract by a private company*. The site will be leased to the company for 25 years to secure long term investment but the Council will retain ownership of the cemetery and crematorium.
The preferred bidder proposes a number of improvements to the service backed by a multi-million pound investment. These include:
- Extensive refurbishment to the ageing chapel, entrance porch and waiting room.
- Improvements to the crematorium's grounds and providing a wider variety of environments for remembrance to improve customer choice.
- Overhauling the parking and roadways to cater for modern funeral vehicles and improve access for customers.
- Installing modern cremation equipment to ensure cremations remain compliant with changing future legal requirements. The new equipment will also provide a lower carbon footprint.
- CCTV systems will be maintained and further improvements to the system will be considered.
The opening hours and customer access will be extended with a longer staff presence on site. There will also be a number of service standards the Council will expect the company to meet. These include keeping the site maintained and secured, carrying out annual customer satisfaction surveys and continuing to provide cremations for persons under three months of age free of charge.
Harlow Council Leader, Councillor Andrew Johnson, said: "Families quite rightly expect the very best facilities and service when saying goodbye or remembering their loved ones. We are at the point where we have taken the service as far as we can. The service will require substantial capital investment over the next few years which in the current financial climate will be difficult for the Council to fund. The building and facilities are ageing and if investment isn't made the service will not meet our customers' expectations or legislative requirements. Just to meet environmental protection standards could cost the Council around £1million."
"Working in partnership with an experienced national operator will secure this valued service's future and bring the customer improvements and investment needed. Once the contract is up and running we will be talking to the operator on a regular basis and monitoring the operation of the site."
As part of the arrangements the Council will receive rent and a share of the annual income. Existing staff will transfer to the company.
