To receive declarations of personal and prejudicial interest (if any) from Members/Officers in accordance with the provisions of the Members’ Code of Conduct adopted by Council from 1st September 2009.

None.

To receive for approval the Minutes of 15/07/2022

RESOLVED:                               That the minutes of a meeting of the Coychurch Crematorium Joint Committee dated 15 July 2022, be approved as a true and accurate record.

The Bereavement Services Manager and Registrar presented a report, in order to advise the Joint Committee on Coychurch Crematorium’s successful application for a Green Flag Award in 2022.

By way of background, she explained that the Green Flag Award is the benchmark national standard for parks and green spaces in England and Wales. It was launched in 1996 to recognise and reward the best green spaces in the country. The first national award was introduced in 1997 and it continues to identify the high standards against which parks and green spaces are measured. It is also seen as a way of encouraging organisations to achieve high environmental standards, setting a benchmark of excellence in recreational green areas.

Coychurch Crematorium received its first award in 2010 and annually thereafter to the present date.

A re-submission for the Green Flag Award was made in January 2022 and awards were announced on 11th July 2022, the Bereavement Services Manager and Registrar confirmed.

The Crematorium had once again been successful in securing this nationally recognised award for the standards of care and maintenance of the site and grounds. The award confirms the commitment to maintaining high standards, which can be appreciated by all visitors.

She was pleased to say therefore, that Coychurch is flying its Green Flag for the thirteenth year in succession.

The Chairperson of the Coychurch Crematorium Joint Committee and the Bereavement Services Manager and Registrar normally collect the Green Flag Award at a ceremony but the Green Flag Award organisers will not hold an award ceremony this year. Instead, the Green Flag and certificate will be delivered directly to Coychurch Crematorium.

On 27 July 2022 Bridgend County Borough Council issued a press release to advise the public of the Green Flag Award successes, a copy of which is attached as Appendix A to the report.

The award requires an annual application and a further submission will be made in January 2023, concluded the Bereavement Services Manager and Registrar.

RESOLVED:                                  That the Joint Committee noted the report with pleasure and congratulated the Bereavement Services Manager and Registrar and her staff for once more achieving this award.

The Bereavement Services Manager and Registrar presented a report, the purpose of which, was to obtain the Joint Committee’s nominations and approval of organisations to receive charitable funding from the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM) scheme for the recovery of metals arising from cremations and to update the Joint Committee on charity donations made by Coychurch Crematorium.

She advised that Coychurch Crematorium participates in a national scheme for the Recycling of Metals, which are derived from the cremation process. Any surplus monies after deduction of costs from the sale of metals are then distributed to charities associated with bereavement services, via the ICCM.

Paragraph 3.2 of the report, gave some examples of charities where such monies had been contributed to previously.

The nomination of charities to benefit from funding accrued from the sale of metals is presented periodically to the Joint Committee for consideration to ensure even distribution of the funding. The Crematorium receives a request from the ICCM to nominate a charity approximately every six months.

In order to ensure that a wide range of local charities receive funding an updated list of organisations was listed in paragraph 4.2 of the report, for the Joint Committee’s consideration. These charities have approached the Crematorium for funding. Only one charity can be nominated each time, the Bereavement Services Manager and Registrar added.

A Member felt that a charity for young people called Eye to Eye that supported schools in Rhondda Cynon Taf should be given a donation. The last donation given to this organisation was in 2015. This suggestion was supported by Members.

It was also suggested and agreed that the Alzheimer’s Society also be donated to and that this be first on the list with Eye to Eye being second, then the remainder as listed in the report, being nominated in the order they were shown.

RESOLVED:                                 (1)  That the Joint Committee noted the charitable donations made by Coychurch Crematorium.

(2)  The Joint Committee agreed to nominate and support the list of suitable charities, for submission for funding from the National Recycling of Metals Scheme in the order shown in the report, following firstly the nomination of the Alzheimer’s Society charity and Eye to Eye (in that order).

The Treasurer submitted a report, the purpose of which, was to inform the Joint Committee of the details of the income and expenditure for the first six months of the 2022-23 financial year and give a projection of the final outturn, as well as to provide an update to the Joint Committee in relation to the Annual Accounting Statement 2021-22.

By way of background information, the Finance Manager, Financial Control, Closing and Accounting Systems, confirmed that the 2022-23 Revenue Budget was approved by the Joint Committee at its meeting on 4 March 2022. The current budget position and projected outturn for 2022-23 was shown in paragraph 4.1 of the report.

She referred Members to paragraph 4.1 of the report and Table 1, which contained details of income and expenditure for the period April to September 2022, together with the projected outturn for the financial year.

This Table showed a projected deficit of £941,000 for the 2022-23 financial year, which is in line with the deficit approved by the Joint Committee on 4 March 2022 and is as a result of additional budget being approved for capital works for the Flower Court extension. An explanation of the variances between the budget and projected outturn were further detailed in this section of the report.

Table 2 in paragraph 4.2, gave a breakdown of the Capital Financing budget for 2022-23, along with the expenditure for the period April to September 2022 and projected outturn for the financial year. An additional budget of £719,957 was agreed to fund the increased costs for the Flower Court extension at the Joint Committee meeting on 15 July 2022, increasing this budget to £1.270 million, added the Finance Manager – Financial Control,  Closing and Accounting Systems.

The Annual Return for 2021-22 (at Appendix 1 of the report) was submitted to Audit Wales at the end of July 2022, showing a surplus of £280,724 for the year and an accumulated balance of £3,179,607 at 31 March 2022.

She advised that Audit Wales had now confirmed that the Return has been audited with no amendments required (Appendix 2 referred).

The Finance Manager – Financial Control, Closing and Accounting Systems finally added, that a copy of the certified Return will be made available at the Crematorium and electronically on Bridgend County Borough Council’s website.

A Member referred to the top of page 29 of the report, where it made reference to a projected increase in Bridgend County Borough Council Contribution of £3,000 relating to increased staffing costs recharged to the Council’s Cemeteries service. He asked for some clarification as to what this was.

The Bereavement Services Manager and Registrar confirmed that this was a percentage of salary of a member of staff that had been placed from the Cemeteries Department of the Communities Directorate to the Crematorium, therefore some of the post’s salary was re-charged to that Department. 

RESOLVED:                                   That the Joint Committee noted the Revenue Monitoring Statement April to September for 2022-23 and the position in relation to the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 14.

To consider any other item(s) of business in respect of which notice has been given in accordance with Rule 4 of the Council Procedure Rules and which the person presiding at the meeting is of the opinion should by reason of special circumstances be transacted at the meeting as a matter of urgency.

None.