Issue - meetings

Report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport

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.