Issue - items at meetings - Poole Crematorium - update and next steps opportunity

To feedback to Cabinet summary results of early market engagement completed in April 2024 and current service performance.

To seek Cabinet approval to go to market to procure a concessionaire to operate Poole Crematorium, enabling the reintroduction of cremation services at the site through a third-party provider.

RESOLVED that Cabinet: -

(a) noted the feedback from the completed Early Market Engagement exercise;

(b) approved the procurement of a concession to operate from Poole Crematorium, Gravel Hill, Poole;

(c) delegates authority to the Director of Environment, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Communities, to finalise the concession specification and undertake the procurement process; and

(d) agreed to receive a future further report on evaluated bids, and if appropriate approve the award of contract.

Voting: Unanimous

Portfolio Holder: Communities and Partnerships

Reason

To allow officers to take forward a market offer to inform Council decision making as to the future of the Poole Crematorium site, in light of ongoing public, business and political interest in resecuring the cremator(s) facility.

The Portfolio Holder for Communities and Partnerships presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'E' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

Cabinet was advised that the report provided feedback on the summary results of early market engagement completed in April 2024 and current service performance, and that the report sought Cabinet approval to go to market to procure a concessionaire to operate Poole Crematorium, enabling the reintroduction of cremation services at the site through a third-party provider.