CREMATORS will not be installed at Poole Crematorium for the foreseeable future under current plans from the council.

The proposal for the site at Gravel Hill is for the process to be undertaken to formally change from the status of the venue to ceremonial only.

Poole Crematorium has not had working cremators since April 2020.

The site has still held services when open but bodies have been transported to Bournemouth Crematorium for the cremation.

A petition to save Poole Crematorium has attracted thousands of signatures, but, based on a BCP Council cabinet report, these calls have fallen on deaf ears.

Due to a BCP Council error in its report to members, it was originally recommended to councillors that the reinstatement of cremators at the local authority’s Poole site be deferred until such time as the Bournemouth facility cremators reach end of their economic life, which is believed to be in around seven years.

However, the new recommendations state:

  1. Cabinet recommends investment be built into the future capital programme for the provision of cremators to meet the needs of the whole BCP Community.
  2. Cabinet commits to bringing forward the reinstatement of cremators at the Poole Crematorium facility, subject to a continuing review of demand, emerging green technologies and the preferred future location(s) and appropriate timeframe for this investment.
  3. Cabinet agrees to temporarily change the operating status of the Poole site as a ceremonial only venue pursuant to the Cremation (England and Wales) Regulations 2008 to include the publication of required notices and notification to the Secretary of State, until such time that the replacement of the Poole Cremators is confirmed.
  4. Cabinet agrees to the decommissioning of the existing cremating equipment in Poole in 2023-24.

Read more: Petition launched to get cremator installed at Poole Crematorium

The report to cabinet said: “Poole crematorium ceased operating as a crematorium in April 2020. Due to the age of the equipment, they had become uneconomical to repair with replacement parts obsolete and mounting concern regarding the safety of the equipment.

“A decision was made to discontinue the use of the cremators and implement the pre-planned contingency arrangement for the conveyancing of deceased to Bournemouth Crematorium following funeral services booked at Poole.”

In 2021/22, out of 315 operating crematoria, Bournemouth Crematorium was the second busiest in the country in terms of the number of cremations carried out.

The report sets out the benefits and impacts of six options in relation to Poole Crematorium, which are as follows:

  • Continue to promote and market as a ceremonial venue only, conveying to Bournemouth for cremation
  • Reinstate now as a crematorium with only one gas or electric cremator
  • Reinstate now as a crematorium with two gas cremators.
  • Reinstate now as a crematorium with two electric cremators.
  • Commit to bringing forward the reinstatement of cremators at the Poole Crematorium facility, subject to a continuing review of demand, emerging green technologies and the preferred future location(s) and appropriate timeframe for this investment.
  • Closure of the Poole facility with all, cremations & funerals services being held at alternative venues

Previously, one of the stated options was to defer a decision on reinstatement of gas or suitable alternative green technology solution at the Poole facility until such time as the Bournemouth facility cremators reach the end of their economic life, at which point a re-evaluation of marketplace changes and the splitting of any future reinvestment across the two sites will take place. It appears this has now been removed.

Poole Crematorium is set to reopen for services from Monday, September 26, following refurbishment work throughout the summer to the buildings on the site.

The proposal for the future of the facility will be discussed at a place overview and scrutiny committee meeting on Wednesday, September 21, before going to cabinet a week later.

EDIT NOTE: The BCP Council report on which this story was originally based was replaced with an updated version due human error on behalf of the council. The story has been updated to reflect the updated details.