Decision details

For the Lead Member to note the breadth of discretionary services available through the Registration Service and consider proposals to:

1) refer customers who are getting married to an approved Will writer, in return for a referral fee (predicated on the fact that marriage annuls all former wills).

2) refer customers to an approved insurance broker to organise Ceremony insurance for them in return for a fee from the insurance broker.

3) hold funeral services and wakes at Southover Grange.

4) offer a fee reduction of up to 25% for non-statutory optional ceremonies if they are booked at the same time as the customer transacting other business with the service.

23.1     The Lead Member considered a report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport.

DECISIONS

23.2     The Lead Member RESOLVED to:

1)    Note the breadth of discretionary services currently being pursued by the Registration Service;

2)    Approve the implementation of a new discretionary service providing funerals and wakes at Southover Grange; and

3)    Delegate authority to the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport to discount non-statutory ceremony fees by up to 25%.

REASON

23.3     There is a recent but growing trend for civil funerals to be held in venues other than a crematorium. Once the funeral ceremony has been completed the Funeral Director then accompanies the body to the crematorium and the mourners remain in situ for the wake. The benefit of this arrangement is that the funeral ceremony itself does not need to be rushed as is often the case at crematoria and the guests can stay in the same venue for the funeral and the wake afterwards. Some areas are not well covered by the crematoria available, which involves a lot of travelling for many people, and some family members prefer funerals to take place in more attractive buildings than some of the crematoria that are available. Southover Grange is an ideal venue for offering this new service.

23.4     Discounting  non-statutory ceremony fees by up to 25% if they are booked at the same time as the customer is conducting other business with the Registration Service provides opportunities for customers to, for example, book a non-statutory naming ceremony while in the office to register the birth of a baby.

23.5       The Lead Member thanked staff for helping to develop the number of new discretionary services currently being pursued by the Registration Service. He encouraged staff to continue to come forward with additional ideas and assured them that he would help to promote these ideas where possible.