The Portchester Crematorium Joint Committee is scheduled to meet to discuss a range of topics, including updates on building repairs, cremator replacements, and carbon reduction efforts. Members will also consider a proposal to delegate authority for negotiated walk-through cremation price reductions, and review the Portchester Crematorium Improvement Programme. Additionally, the committee will receive reports from the Manager and Registrar, and the Horticultural Consultant.

Portchester Crematorium Improvement Programme

The committee is scheduled to discuss the Portchester Crematorium Improvement Programme 2025-2027, which aims to ensure the site, facilities and services continue to be developed to keep pace with public expectations and remain competitive in the local market for cremation services .

The planned improvements include:

• Works to the South Chapel to further improve the facilities to ensure they align with those currently provided in the North Chapel.
• Refurbishment of the main toilet facilities to ensure they achieve a similar standard to a new crematorium.
• Develop a revised scheme to provide a new Garden of Contemplation.
• Improve the service offering and the provision of information.
• The provision of a catafalque in the South Chapel suitable to accommodate bariatric services similar to that in the North Chapel.

A new catafalque has already been installed in the North Chapel to accommodate bariatric services, using underspends from previous renewal projects.

A significant programme of works is proposed for the South Chapel, building on previous refurbishments to further enhance the facilities. Initial investigations considered re-orientating the chapel, but this was found to be operationally disruptive, exceed the available budget and introduce health and safety risks. The proposed work would utilise the space released by the removal of the proscenium arch and curtain arrangement to provide additional seating space. The raised area will be revised to allow access to a new catafalque suitable for bariatric funeral services. New seating will be provided in place of the existing pews, with individual seating in a similar arrangement to that provided in the North Chapel. New curtain arrangements will be provided for the area around the catafalque. An initial impression of the proposed new arrangements for the South Chapel, prepared by RBA Architect is attached at Appendix 1 of the Crematorium Improvement Programme report.

The toilet refurbishment aims to improve the quality of facilities while retaining the existing cubicle layout, based on an understanding of what can be achieved within the available space and the level of demand at peak times. Tenders are being prepared for these works this year.

During the final two quarters of the 2025/2026 financial year, professionals will be engaged to investigate what can be delivered within the available budget for the new Garden of Contemplation.

The toilet refurbishment is planned for the first half of 2026, with the South Chapel works scheduled for the summer of 2026, when demand for services is lower.

The budget for this programme is £362,000, funded in both the 2025/2026 and 2026/2027 financial years.

Carbon Reduction Update

The committee will be reviewing the Carbon Reduction Update and Review of Plan, which provides an update on the crematorium's progress in reducing its carbon footprint during the 2024/25 year, and sets out objectives for the next three years.

The report details a series of steps that are planned to be taken to reduce carbon emissions, divided into short and medium-term actions, as well as areas where emissions can be eliminated or reduced.

Short-term actions include:

• Implementing revised operating procedures and making use of the hold-over facilities now installed on site.
• Reducing electricity use with the installation of low energy lighting throughout the site.
• Increasing the use of electric hand tools over petrol tools by the grounds maintenance contractor.

Medium-term actions include:

• Investigations into the provision of solar electricity panels, energy efficiency improvements, harvesting of water and revised grounds maintenance procedures.

The report notes that Scope 1 emissions¹ from the use of gas are primarily related to the cremation process and have shown a significant decrease in the year. The report also notes that Scope 2 emissions² attributed to site electricity have also shown a significant decrease, due to the use of more low energy equipment such as improved lighting. The plan for the next three years includes:

• Continuing to operate cremators as efficiently as possible, including the use of the hold-over facility.
• Ensuring any investment in the site considers energy efficient measures to reduce energy use.
• Making investigations into the introduction of harvesting water on site for reuse.
• Carrying out assessments for the installation of solar electricity panels within the site.
• Working with the grounds maintenance contractor to understand how revised procedures can reduce energy use.
• Continuing to monitor the demand for electric vehicle charging points and look at viable options to provide if required.
• Continuing to monitor the availability of external funding schemes to support and further reduce the use of energy at the Crematorium.
• Continuing to investigate and bring forward an offsetting scheme to the Joint Committee.

The report concludes that Scope 1 emissions in the 3-year period under review 2022/23 to 2024/25 have reduced by nearly 48% from 486.24 to 254.98 tCO2e³. Overall emissions (scope 1 and scope 2) in the 3-year period 2022/23 to 2024/25 have reduced by 44% from 547.74 to 305.73 tCO2e.

Replacement of Cremators

The committee is scheduled to receive an update report from Ian Cousins, Property Manager, on the project to replace the existing cremators at Portchester Crematorium.

The report covers the period from June to August 2025, and notes that the remaining two new cremators have now been built and lined, and all ducting works are now complete. Works are in progress to connect the new units to required utilities prior to commissioning. Building and finishing works to the cremator hall, including the new cremulator room have progressed well.

All building works to receive the two newest cremators have been completed, and the components of the two new cremators and associated plant was delivered to site as planned. Assembly of the units is now complete, and cremators have now been moved into their final position, allowing all required ducting and utility connection works to be carried out.

The plan remains to commission the remaining two new cremators during September with all works completed by the end of the month.

Currently projected costs remain within the allocated budget of £4.5m agreed at the Joint Committee meeting on the 20th March 2023.

Walk Through Funeral Fees

The committee will discuss a report from the Treasurer to the Joint Committee regarding walk through fees. The report sets out proposed revisions to walk through fees for 2025/26.

The report notes that the Joint Committee approves cremation fees and optional charges based on budget and resource information reported to the Joint Committee at the December cycle of meetings. At the meeting held 9 December 2024 the Joint Committee approved a walkthrough cremation fee of £450.

The report states that there is currently a decline in the demand for walkthrough services arranged with local funeral directors, and that in order to remain competitive it is proposed that authority be granted to the Manager and Registrar to enter into dialogue with local funeral directors to negotiate terms for the offer of a price reduction in order to increase walk through numbers.

The recommendation is that authority be delegated to the Treasurer to the Joint Committee and Manager and Registrar to authorise negotiated walk through cremation price reductions.

Building Repairs and Renewal Programme

The committee is scheduled to note the Building Repairs and Renewal Programme report from Ian Cousins, Property Manager, which provides details on the significant projects being undertaken at the Crematorium.

The report includes updates on the following projects:

• Staff Area Improvements: Works on hold whilst Cremator Replacement scheme is in progress.
• Signage: Works complete and invoiced.
• External Redecoration: Works on hold whilst Cremator Replacement scheme is in progress.
• Lighting Upgrade: Works complete but final account to be agreed.
• Cremator Replacement: See Cremator Replacement Report for further information.
• Crematorium Refurbishment Programme 2025 to 2027: See Crematorium Refurbishment Programme Report for further information.
• Grounds Maintenance Facilities: Majority of works now completed.
• Audio Visual and Streaming Service Upgrade: New Item – Requirements to be agreed.

Manager and Registrar's Report

The committee will receive the Manager and Registrar's Report, which includes general statistical reports for June to August 2025.

The report includes the following statistics:

• Monthly comparison of cremations for June, July and August from 2022 to 2025.
• Total cremations to end August from 2022 to 2025.
• Disposal of remains, including total disposals within grounds, remains removed from crematorium, and remains retained.
• Gas consumption, including total gas consumption and average gas consumption per cremation.
• Obitus⁴ usage, including the percentage of cremations using Obitus services for webcasting and visual tributes. The report also notes that ashes received for scattering would include other nearby crematoria and those from Pure/Direct cremation, and from this it might be possible to prepare statistical information.

Horticultural Consultant's Report

The committee will receive a report from Steve Uden, the Horticultural Consultant, on grounds maintenance generally.

The report notes that the summer bedding has provided a bright display of colour over the summer months, and that plans are in place to prepare the beds for the autumn/winter bedding plants.

The drought conditions have been a challenge, and new plantings in the spring have had to be watered until they become more established. The report also notes that there appears to have been an increase on pollinators including bees, hoverflies and butterflies and the pond has frequent visits by dragonflies and damselflies.

The grounds team have worked tirelessly to keep the shrubs in the borders pruned both for keeping shape and form and to also balance this with access to the borders for ashes.

The report also mentions that one area that has been of concern is tree shading that is impacting on the growth of shrubs as part of the understory and are also impacting on the level of shade in the garden of one of our neighbours. The report suggests looking at how to encourage more light to the woodland floor by selective tree works.

The Judge for the Southern and Southeast in Bloom Awards visited in July and the results will be available following the awards ceremony on the 26th September.

The report also notes that the Ultraviolet lamp replacement in the filter chamber of the pond has been delayed as it has been discovered the pump itself is coming to the end of its working life and it makes sense to replace them both together. The work is scheduled for 16th September and will proceed if the day is dry.