Public Issues
To receive any public questions, statements or petitions submitted in accordance with the Constitution. Further information on the requirements for submitting these is available to view at the following link:-
https://democracy.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/ieListMeetings.aspx?CommitteeID=151&Info=1&bcr=1
The deadline for the submission of public questions is mid-day on Thursday 20 November 2025 [mid-day 3 clear working days before the meeting].
The deadline for the submission of a statement is mid-day on Tuesday 25 November 2025 [mid-day the working day before the meeting].
The deadline for the submission of a petition is Wednesday 12 November 2025 [10 working days before the meeting].
Decision:
Cabinet was advised that there had been no petitions or questions submitted by members of the public on this occasion, but that three statements had been received in relation to Agenda Items 7 by members of the public.
Public Statement from Susan Stockwell on Agenda Items 7 (Individual Performance Framework Update, 8 (Vitality Stadium land – draft heads of terms and 9 (BCP Homes Asset Management Plan Housing Revenue Account 30 Year Business Plan)
Could the following points be considered:
Item 7 exit interviews for staff offered on leaving and five years later
Item 8 lease plan include secure cycle storage and bin storage locations, item 9 identities of all social housing providers to be published and
Item 9 s278 Highway Act agreements including protection by third party warranty, in building/alteration of stock, which is exempt from CIL but discretionary s278 improvements will allow the council to meet its "wider social and environmental objectives"?
Public Statement from Nick Douch on Agenda Item 10 (Poole Crematorium – update and next stage opportunity). Read by Democratic Services
I speak on behalf of local funeral professionals and families we support across BCP & Dorset. We are here once again discussing the future of Poole Crematorium almost six years after cremations ceased. The report before you has been shaped by external advisers, yet it overlooks the knowledge and experience of those who work in this field every day. The decline of this service is not the result of unavoidable pressures but the outcome of poor management and repeated failures to act. Residents, businesses and staff have carried the burden of this decline. Whatever decision you make today must place the needs of our community first. Poole deserves a reliable and accessible crematorium that restores public confidence and protects local jobs. Local families deserve a commitment to restore this service, rebuild trust and ensure mistakes of the last six years are never repeated.
Public Statement from Emma Regan on Agenda Item 10 (Poole Crematorium – update and next stage opportunity). Read by Democratic Services
I want to highlight the impact that the closure of Poole Crematorium has had on our community. I have seen first-hand the distress it has caused to bereaved families and to colleagues supporting them. We have had to explain that the crematorium was first closed entirely, then reopened without a cremator—despite around £600,000 of taxpayers’ money being spent on the site.
Although we reassure families that their loved ones are treated with dignity, they must still be taken to Bournemouth for cremation. This has forced difficult choices between the funeral director they trust and the location where the cremation actually happens. Elderly residents, in particular, have struggled with longer journeys, with some choosing not to attend services at all.
This situation has been deeply disappointing for many. I urge the council to reconsider its position and restore cremation services at Poole Crematorium—an essential, valued service our community deserves.
Minutes:
Cabinet was advised that there had been no petitions or questions submitted by members of the public on this occasion, but that three statements had been received in relation to Agenda Items 7 by members of the public.
Public Statement from Susan Stockwell on Agenda Items 7 (Individual Performance Framework Update, 8 (Vitality Stadium land – draft heads of terms and 9 (BCP Homes Asset Management Plan Housing Revenue Account 30 Year Business Plan)
Could the following points be considered:
Item 7 exit interviews for staff offered on leaving and five years later
Item 8 lease plan include secure cycle storage and bin storage locations, item 9 identities of all social housing providers to be published and
Item 9 s278 Highway Act agreements including protection by third party warranty, in building/alteration of stock, which is exempt from CIL but discretionary s278 improvements will allow the council to meet its "wider social and environmental objectives"?
Public Statement from Nick Douch on Agenda Item 10 (Poole Crematorium – update and next stage opportunity). Read by Democratic Services
I speak on behalf of local funeral professionals and families we support across BCP & Dorset. We are here once again discussing the future of Poole Crematorium almost six years after cremations ceased. The report before you has been shaped by external advisers, yet it overlooks the knowledge and experience of those who work in this field every day. The decline of this service is not the result of unavoidable pressures but the outcome of poor management and repeated failures to act. Residents, businesses and staff have carried the burden of this decline. Whatever decision you make today must place the needs of our community first. Poole deserves a reliable and accessible crematorium that restores public confidence and protects local jobs. Local families deserve a commitment to restore this service, rebuild trust and ensure mistakes of the last six years are never repeated.
Public Statement from Emma Regan on Agenda Item 10 (Poole Crematorium – update and next stage opportunity). Read by Democratic Services
I want to highlight the impact that the closure of Poole Crematorium has had on our community. I have seen first-hand the distress it has caused to bereaved families and to colleagues supporting them. We have had to explain that the crematorium was first closed entirely, then reopened without a cremator—despite around £600,000 of taxpayers’ money being spent on the site.
Although we reassure families that their loved ones are treated with dignity, they must still be taken to Bournemouth for cremation. This has forced difficult choices between the funeral director they trust and the location where the cremation actually happens. Elderly residents, in particular, have struggled with longer journeys, with some choosing not to attend services at all.
This situation has been deeply disappointing for many. I urge the council to reconsider its position and restore cremation services at Poole Crematorium—an essential, valued service our community deserves.