Appendix A to Cemetery and Crematorium - Chelmsford Borough ...

Chelmsford Cemetery and Crematorium
November 2011
APPENDIX A
Introduction to the Writtle Road Cemetery and Crematorium
Overview
The service consists of eight closed cemeteries and churchyards, one operational cemetery
and a single crematorium with two chapels. The crematorium on Writtle Road is a prime
asset of the Council and a contributor to the Council’s funds. It conducts around 2,000
cremations annually.
The cemetery covers 25 acres of land and there have been around 22,000 burials since it
opened in 1887. The cemetery on Writtle Road and the Book of Remembrance are open
365 days per year with opening and closing times varying throughout the year.
The main offices are located at Chelmsford Cemetery and Crematorium on Writtle Road,
Chelmsford. The service operates during week days but out of hours services are available to
accommodate the needs of those who require services in the evening or at weekends. A
member of the grounds staff is on site at weekends and bank holidays to perform patrol
duties. The grounds maintenance works and grave digging operations are carried out by in
house staff. A total of staff of 12 staff is responsible for the delivery of this service.
Burial Service
There are approximately 13,000 graves within the grounds of Writtle Road and this number
grows by around 50 new graves per year. A total of 100 - 150 burials take place in this
cemetery on an annual basis consisting of re-open, new and burial of cremated remains.
On current provision and levels of take up, burial space in Writtle Road will run out within 15
- 20 years. The Council will need to look at acquiring land for a new cemetery within in the
next 5 - 10 years. Alternatively the issue of grave re-use should be monitored and considered
as a potential solution that would allow for the continuation of the cemetery in the future.
- 1 -

Chelmsford Cemetery and Crematorium
November 2011
To extend into the remaining land in Writtle Road, a wild area at present, a condition survey
will be required. Roadways and taps will need to be accommodated and this work is
estimated to be around £100,000. Previous capital bids for monies have not been successful.
APPENDIX A
Cremation Service
This site offers two chapels to meet the differing needs of the bereaved. The South Chapel
was originally opened in 1961 and the North followed in 1984 to accommodate additional
services.
The South Chapel which is currently undergoing an extension will be able to accommodate
120 seats in the main lobby of the chapel. These works which include refurbishment to the
interior are scheduled to be completed by December 8 th 2011. CD, DVD recording and
online web casting of a service will continue to be offered in the South Chapel.
The North Chapel seats 25 people and was designed to cater for more intimate services. A
digital music system is provided here with the facility to make an audio recording but not a
DVD of a service.
Works to upgrade the crematorium began in January 2011 with approximately £1m worth of
work undertaken to the crematory which included the installation of two new cremators and
mercury abatement equipment. Over 2000 cremations take place each year operating strictly
under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. All staff operating the cremators have
obtained the relevant technical qualifications.
Gardens of Remembrance
There is an unmarked and general area for the scattering of cremated remains known as the
North Lawn. Lawn 1 was previously used for the interment of cremated remains but reached
full capacity in 2006. Cremated remains may also be interred in the Garden of Remembrance
near a living memorial. There are approximately 3,000 roses and living memorials contained
in the Garden of Remembrance which extends across the front of the chapels and the area
behind the South Chapel.
- 2 -

Chelmsford Cemetery and Crematorium
November 2011
APPENDIX A
Grounds Maintenance
Grounds Maintenance staff have responsibility for approximately 13,000 graves across 25
acres and several bedding displays. The crematorium and burial grounds are specifically
maintained to a high standard to meet the expectations of the bereaved.
Memorialisation
Cremation Memorials
Bereavement Services supports hundreds of people every year who come to discuss options
for memorialisation after cremation. Choosing a memorial and then visiting it are key steps in
the grieving process – supporting and advising people of the choices available is an important
element of the service. A good range of memorial options are available on the site including
cremated remains plots, living memorials, chapel and wall plaques.
Going forward Bereavement Services will need to review the memorials available and
consider options to widen this existing range. The service should consistently promote its
offerings to ensure that service users are aware of what’s available before making the decision
for the final place of rest. The service also needs to make better use of the website and
facilitate customers who want to purchase or renew memorials online.
Cemetery
For those requiring headstones on graves or cremated remains plots an approved list of
Monumental Masons is available through the office and on the website.
In addition to arranging burials Bereavement Services has to make sure that all of the
memorials on graves in the cemetery are safe. A member of the Council’s staff is responsible
for managing the safety of the burial grounds and each memorial has to be checked every five
years. In addition to ensuring that old memorials remain safe the Council has acted to ensure
all new memorials installed within the cemetery are now safe.
- 3 -

Chelmsford Cemetery and Crematorium
November 2011
APPENDIX A
This has included
• The use of concrete beams for fixing in the Lawns
• Ensuring all masons fix to NAMM standards (including additional inscriptions going
onto stones being re-erected with ground anchors if necessary)
• Carrying out checks after installing
• Not allowing oversized memorials in the traveller section
The Councils policy for managing the safety of its burial grounds has developed and evolved
with the most current advice and guidance available. The priority has always been to ensure
the safety of all those visiting and working in the burial grounds whilst being mindful to the
thoughts and feelings of the bereaved.
War Memorials
Museums are the budget holder for the local War Memorials but Bereavement Services do
assist when works need to be carried out e.g. adding an additional inscription.
Environmental Standards
Flowers:
Where possible any flowers left at the crematorium after a service are re-used. Each Monday,
leftover flowers are reused for creating arrangements in both chapels and our reception area.
Farleigh Hospice collects arrangements to brighten up their premises for residents.
In addition to this, Chelmsford Cemetery and Crematorium has established a system of
composting whereby any remaining bouquets and flowers left in the memorial chapel, floral
tribute areas and within the grounds are now composted. Additionally, grass cuttings and leaf
litter are added in the summer and autumn and it means that there is continually a large ready
- 4 -

Chelmsford Cemetery and Crematorium
November 2011
supply of homemade compost for planting out new rose beds, new trees, pots and beds in
formal areas and individual replacement roses.
APPENDIX A
Plastic:
All plastic collected on site is removed by a third party called Agriplas and reused to produce
drainage grilles for the construction and landscaping professions. This plastic includes
materials from floral tributes but also large amounts of plant pots and trays that are used both
by the public visiting the cemetery, the cemetery staff and the Council's Parks department
which grow plants for the various bedding schemes and borders throughout the Borough.
Metal:
Memorial plaques are the property of the holder. If they are not claimed following the end of
a lease, they are forwarded to a metal dealer – any residual value in the metal is forwarded to
local charity Farleigh hospice.
Following cremation there may be residual metal items such as orthopedic implants.
Chelmsford Crematorium participates in the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium
Management's national scheme which collects such metal items periodically. Prior to 2011
residual receipts were donated to death related charities such as the British Heart Foundation
or Cancer Research UK. Since then crematoriums have been able to nominate local charities
and this year the scheme generated over £12,000 for Farleigh Hospice.
Wildlife and Wildflower area:
A wild area exists opposite the lawn grave sections and is kept in this manner to help
promote natural flowers and wildlife within this urban cemetery environment. The grass in
this area is cut twice a year and in time this space will eventually be converted to lawn graves.
Energy monitoring:
The consumption of electricity and gas at the crematorium is measured as part of the
Councils corporate carbon footprint which covers energy consumption at all buildings
operated and occupied by the Council. The upgrade of cremators and the resulting change of
gas and electricity consumption will be closely monitored so that efficiencies can be reported.
- 5 -

Chelmsford Cemetery and Crematorium
November 2011
APPENDIX A
Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) equipment will be installed which will allow staff to monitor
the gas and electricity consumption on a half hourly basis. This detailed consumption
information will enable Building Maintenance to work with Bereavement Services and
recommend further energy saving measures for the site.
Relationships with Funeral Directors and Key Stakeholders
Registration
Bereavement Services undertakes the statutory registration of around 2,150 cremations and
burials carried out by Bereavement Services each year using the Burial and Cremation
Administration System (BACAS). This is an important part for the arranging of burials and
cremations and the appointed officer has to liaise with funeral directors, the register office,
ministers and the medical profession.
Public Health Funerals
Under the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 the Authority has a duty to arrange
for the funeral of any person dying within the borough where no other arrangements are
being made. This is managed by Environmental Protection who makes arrangements for
around five funerals per year which cost approximately £1,000 each including cremation fees.
In general this type of funeral follows a simple routine in order to keep costs low. The
contract cost may be recovered where sufficient funds exist but if there is no estate then the
Council bears the cost. A modest budget of £3,600 is reserved to pay for these funerals.
User meetings
Six monthly meetings are held to liaise with stakeholders including clergy, funeral directors
and memorial mason. These meetings allow stakeholders to inform of any concerns or
improvements to the service while allowing the Council the opportunity to inform them of
new developments, changes to procedures etc.
- 6 -

Chelmsford Cemetery and Crematorium
November 2011
APPENDIX A
Equality and Diversity
Chelmsford Crematorium offers a choice of services in two chapels of which both are multi
denominational. The cemetery on Writtle Road caters to all religious beliefs. It includes a
Muslim burial section and a traditional section used primarily by those favouring traditional
memorials.
To gain a better understanding of the customers using this service Bereavement Services
ensure all questionnaires given to the public include an equality and diversity monitoring form.
This year Bereavement Services consulted with the public to update the cemetery and
crematorium regulations and a survey was given to all those who attended the crematorium’s
open day in September 201l.
Prior to 2009 each applicant for a burial or cremation service was sent a service provision
questionnaire but the decision was taken to stop sending these after a number of complaints
were received. Consideration should be given to introducing a new survey to measure
customer satisfaction on an ongoing basis. The current application form allows families to opt
out from receiving any marketing literature or surveys so only those who wish to participate
in a survey will be sent one.
Family History, Historical Records and Information
Chelmsford Crematorium has 29 cremation registers which hold information on over 98,000
deceased. Approximately 60,000 of these cremation records have been added to BACAS
(Burial and Cremation Administration System). All burial records, approximately 22,000, are
on the system.
- 7 -

Chelmsford Cemetery and Crematorium
November 2011
The records held by Bereavement Services are valuable resources. Genealogy is a huge
industry and is reported to be one of the most popular hobbies in the world. Bereavement
Services in Chelmsford receive hundreds of requests for genealogical information each year.
This can be a lengthy process involving searching both the records on the system or
extracting information from the original registers.
APPENDIX A
Bereavement Services would like to offer record searches online to reduce the time staff
spends on them and to generate additional revenue. To be able to offer a full search facility
online, the remaining cremation records will need to be added to BACAS and all 29 registers
will need to be scanned. Bereavement Services are reviewing a number of options that could
make this facility possible.
Raising the Profile and Awareness of the Service
Raising public awareness of the services provided is of growing importance particularly as
more competition from the private sector enters the local area. Chelmsford Cemetery and
Crematorium promotes its services through a number of marketing activities:
Printed materials:
An A5 booklet and accompanying leaflet are supplied to bereaved family members by their
funeral directors. These provide information about the facilities available at Chelmsford
Crematorium. A separate A4 brochure produced in conjunction with a third party supplier is
being used to promote the service outside the borough and is available through hospitals and
care homes.
Website:
The website was reviewed in 2009 and improvements were made to make it more userfriendly.
These changes combined with better promotion of the website have significantly
increased traffic to its web pages. Going forward better use will need to be made of the
website e.g. for renewal of memorials, to display times of services, offer burial and cremation
record searches and be used for online booking of services by funeral directors. It is a very
- 8 -

Chelmsford Cemetery and Crematorium
November 2011
useful tool which can help enhance the range of existing services offered by Bereavement
Services.
APPENDIX A
Events and Open Day:
Bereavement Services support funeral directors at their open days throughout the year and
attend council managed events such as the Over 55s Information Day. This year the
crematorium held its first open day event which focused on informing the public of the
services it offers and those offered by the wider funeral profession.
Following on the success of its first Christmas Memorial Service last year, the crematorium
will host two services this coming December. These events help strengthen relationships
with stakeholders and show the public that Bereavement Services continue to support them
even after the service or interment has taken place.
Monitoring Performance
The complaints, compliments and requests process
Compliments, complaints and requests are monitored on a monthly basis and their outcomes
are sent to the Business Improvement team who include it as part of their monthly reporting.
All complaints across the council are analysed by Customer Services on a quarterly basis.
Customer Services then produce a report for Management Team highlighting the data and any
lessons to be learnt as a result.
Key Performance Indicator
Each month income generated from Bereavement Services is recorded as a cumulative
percentage of the base budget /expected income. Cremations are the biggest contributor to
income but these are often linked to death rates which are a factor outside the control of the
service. Bereavement Services would like other performance indicators to be considered so
that the service’s overall performance can be measured more effectively.
- 9 -

Chelmsford Cemetery and Crematorium
November 2011
APPENDIX A
Details of guidelines legislation and statutes that affect the service
• Local Government Act 1972
• Local Authorities’ Cemeteries Order 1977
• The Cremation Act 1902 & 1952
• The Cremation Regulations 1930 plus amendments 2008
• Births & Deaths Registration Act 1953
• Coroners Act 1988
• Data Protection Act 1998
• Public Health Control of Disease Act 1984
• Environmental Protection Act 1990 PG5/2
• Still Birth (Definition) Act 1992
• Freedom of Information Act 2000
• Disability Discrimination Act 1995
• Race Relations Act 1976 and Race Relations Amendments Act 2000
Bereavement – Wide Guidelines:
• Charter for the Bereaved
• Guiding Principles of Burial & Cremation Authorities
• The Code of Cremation Practice
Organisations that Guide and Influence the Provision of this Service
Institute of Cemetery & Crematorium Managers (ICCM) www.iccm-uk.com
Confederation of Burial Authorities (CBA) (Now ICCM Corporate) www.iccm-uk.com
- 10 -

Chelmsford Cemetery and Crematorium
November 2011
The Cremation Society of Great Britain www.srgw.demon.co.uk/CremSoc
The Federation of British Cremation Authorities (FBCA) www.fbca.org.uk
The National Association of Monumental Masons (NAMM) www.namm.org.uk
APPENDIX A
- 11 -

Chelmsford Cemetery and Crematorium
November 2011
Bereavement Services Team Structure
APPENDIX A
Kerrie Jepps
Bereavement Services
Superintendent
Mark Collins
Colin Struman
Debbie Head
Rachael Colman
Ann-Marie Hill
Grounds staff
Supervisor
Cremator Technician
Team Leader
Bereavement
Service Officer
Bereavement
Supervisor Officer
20 hrs
Business Development
Officer
30 hrs
Steve Challis
Grounds Staff
Andrew Grendale
Grounds Staff
Christopher
Chambers
Ground Staff
Michael Thomas
Grounds Staff
Tony Gale
Chapel Attendant
- 12 -
Len Greenham
Chapel Attendant
28 hrs

Chelmsford Cemetery and Crematorium
November 2011
S.W.O.T Analysis
Strengths
• A long record of service to the people of
Chelmsford and the surrounding areas.
• Proximity to a large town that’s growing in
numbers annually
• Attractive and well managed grounds
• Dedicated staff
• Mercury abatement equipment and new
cremators installed in September 2011
• Extended South Chapel will facilitate larger
services
• Open 365 days a week
• Comparatively priced
• Able to conduct cremations and burials in
one location
• Specialist burial areas – traditional section,
Muslim area and multi faith
Opportunities
• Commemoration – wider choice of
memorials
• Increased demand from a growing
population
• Flexibility to meet the needs of partners –
funeral directors requesting reduced fees
for ‘no service’ bookings, evening or
weekend services
• Modern and environmentally friendly
crematory catering to all
APPENDIX A
Weaknesses
• Dated buildings & grounds
• Lack of I.T. systems e.g. BACAS not linked to
World Pay, unreliable reporting etc
• Heavily paper based processes
• Lack of storage
• No waiting room facilities
• Limited amount of burial space
• Border of Borough Funeral Directors
Threats
• Risk of local competition
• Rising energy costs
• Failure to invest in refurbishment of facilities
and gardens
• Failure to invest in land for new cemetery
• Legislation
• Possible income generation through Cameo
- 13 -

Chelmsford Cemetery and Crematorium
November 2011
APPENDIX A
- 14 -