Agenda item

The Director of Services outlined the report as set out in report pages 124 to 128, which should be read together with these minutes as a composite document.

The Leader expressed his concerns that this is a demand led budget with no cap or controls in place and stated that in these difficult times it was not necessarily fair for all members of the community to contribute towards a subsidy for a few. He said that this was not about religion but was instead about sustainability and cost in the current economic climate.

He recommended that Place Shaping Working Group should be asked to carry out work regarding the provision of a new cemetery within the Borough. He also recommended that a report be presented before a later Committee regarding the remaining capacity at the existing cemeteries in Oadby and Wigston.

In relation to recommendation 2.1 as set out in the report, the Leader commented that this is a highly complicated and sensitive issue that needs a considerable amount of further research and consultation into how best the Council provides burial provision in the future for all faiths and this is likely to take some time. He noted that in light of the information in the report it is not sustainable for the Council to continue to contribute at the financial level it currently does and whatever the Council decides should apply equally to all faiths.

He went on to propose that the Council should consider withdrawing the subsidy during the next financial year that it has traditionally paid to members of a specific faith to fund burials outside of the Borough where we cannot facilitate them within the Borough.

He noted that this represents a big change and therefore in the shorter term proposed that the Council should provide grants of up to £1,000 for burials outside of the Borough for a member of any faith community where it cannot facilitate them within it.

He suggested that the Council needed to consult on these proposals and added that the grant system should be implemented for a period of no more than 2 years.

The Leader added that the budget for 2014/15 should be increased accordingly to recognise the overspend already in the 2013/14 budget.

Members voted on the revised proposal as stated by the Leader. Councillor R Thakor abstained from the vote.

RESOLVED: That:

(1)  The Council withdraws the subsidy of £2,200 during the next financial year that it has traditionally paid to members of a specific faith to fund burials outside of the Borough where they cannot be facilitated within the Borough and that this be replaced be replaced by a scheme whereby the Council provides grants of up to £1,000 for burials outside of the Borough for a member of any faith community where it cannot facilitate them within it, such scheme to implemented for a maximum period of 2 years;

(2)  A report be prepared for the next meeting of the Policy, Finance and Development Committee on 25 March 2014, setting out the remaining capacity at the existing cemeteries in Oadby and Wigston;

(3)  Place Shaping Working Group are instructed to carry out work regarding the provision of a new cemetery within the Borough by identifying the capital requirement, the potential for external funding and the potential revenue cost to the Council;

(4)  The budget for 2014/15 be increased accordingly in recognition of the overspend in the 2013/14 budget.