Hope crematorium work will stop funeral disruption

Work costing £1m is needed at a crematorium to avoid disruption to funerals in the future, a council report said.

Teesside Crematorium in Middlesbrough currently operates three cremators through a single abatement plant - the system needed to clean gases before they are released.

A report by the council's director of environment, Geoff Field, said if that failed it "could severely restrict the council's ability to undertake cremations on site".

He said: "In the event of a major plant failure, cremation services could be severely restricted or temporarily suspended, potentially resulting in funeral delays and significant distress for bereaved families."

While the report does not specify if any temporary closures would be required for the work to take place, it said "delivery of the project will be planned to minimise disruption".

The executive committee at the Labour-led council has been recommended to approve the work at a meeting on Wednesday.

Field's report said equipment currently in use at the Acklam Road crematorium was "mechanically and electrically sound", but as it was 15 years old, the work was needed to extend its lifespan by 10 years.

Two other cremators, dating from 1990, were mothballed and could be removed as part of the work, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Field said bereavement services were "among the most sensitive" to be delivered by the council.

"Any significant disruption to cremation services, delays to funerals or environmental compliance failures would directly affect bereaved families and could result in substantial reputational damage to the council."

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