The Minutes of the meeting of the Joint Committee held on 24 June 2009 were agreed and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

Councillors M Smith and T Green expressed a personal and prejudicial interest in item 25- both     being members of Committees which set fees and charges for other crematoria - and withdrew from the meeting whilst the matter was being discussed.

The next Annual Conference of the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management was          due to be held in October 2010 and following an expression of interest by the Vice-Chairman to          attend it was

           

In accordance with the practice of holding annual liaison meetings with persons taking services and funeral directors it was

The Joint Committee received a report giving details of the complaints and compliments that had been received about the Crematorium in 2009 and the action that had been taken in response to the      comments received.

                       

During 2009 the Crematorium had been approached about the possibility of allowing a funeral       service to be held in the chapel followed by a burial service in a local cemetery and the Joint Committee considered a report setting out this possibility could become a reality.

Following consideration of the advantages the Joint Committee supported the proposal and accordingly

                       

The Joint Committee at their meeting on 24 June 2009 had been advised that sign off of the 2007/08 Accounts was still awaited from the then appointed External Auditors, Grant Thornton, and the Joint Committee received a report explaining that the an unqualified audit opinion on the 2007/08 accounts had finally been received on 26 October 2009.

The report went on to:

·        Explain the Value for Money (VFM) regime;

·        The criteria used by the external auditors  in assessing VFM; and

·        The criteria which in the opinion of the external auditor had not been fully met when assessing the 2007/08 accounts.

The report went on to explain that a draft Annual Governance Report (AGR) had been received from the external auditors, now the Audit Commission, that reported on the results of their 2008/09 audit. The Joint Committee noted that the external auditors were expected to be able to issue an unqualified opinion on the accounts subject to the finalisation of two outstanding issues with officers and to give an unqualified VFM conclusion.

After agreeing the proposed arrangement for responding to the AGR and for finalising the 2008/09 accounts and noting the four Key Lines of Enquiry which apply to the Crematorium and the       requirement to approve the Letter of Representation the Joint Committee

One of the issues highlighted by the external auditor was the lack of a formal Treasury Management Strategy that had been approved by the Joint Committee. The Joint Committee therefore considered a report setting out a proposal to adopt the Council’s Treasury Management Policy Statement and seeking approval to the following investment priorities:

·        Security of the sums invested;

·        Liquidity of the sums invested; and

·        Yield optimisation, commensurate with security and Liquidity.

After noting the current position on investments the Joint Committee

                       

The Joint Committee received a report setting out details of the proposed Chilterns Crematorium Capital Programme covering the period 2009/10 to 2013/14. The report, after setting            out in a table proposed changes from the current approved Capital Programme position, went on to   provide an overview of each of the following capital projects included within the Programme:

·        Milton Chapel Project;

·        Mercury Abatement and Heat Transfer/Recovery Plant;

·        Relining Cremators;

·        Replacement Analysers;

·        Landscaping A404 Boundary;

·        Cabling; and

·        Boundary Fencing.

           

The Joint Committee received a report setting out proposed fees and charges from 1 April 2010 based on a general increase of 3% over the current year charges.

With regard to the main cremation fee, following a discussion it was agreed that the fee be increased to £450 with effect from 1 April 2010.

                       

The Joint Committee received a report setting out details of the Chilterns Crematorium Revenue Budget for 2009/10 Revised and 2010/11 Original.

The revised budget for 2009/10 showed an estimated revenue surplus, before capital expenditure, of £603,990 compared to an original projected surplus of £652,990. The original budget for 2010/11 showed an estimated revenue surplus, before capital expenditure, of £627,850 compared to an original base position in 2009/10 of a projected surplus of £652,990.

After noting that the estimates for 2010/11 would need to be amended to reflect the decision made in Minute 25 above the Joint Committee

           

Note: The relevant paragraph number from Part I of Schedule 12A is indicated at the end of the Minute heading.

The Joint Committee received a report reminding members of the decisions that had previously     been taken in respect of the project to procure and install cremator abatement equipment and associated works, including heat transfer for a new heating and hot water system, at the Crematorium.

The report went on to describe the process that Parsons Brinckerhoff Ltd had followed to seek tenders for the works together with the tender evaluation process, application of which had resulted in Facultatieve Technologies Ltd (FT) achieving the highest score of the two Companies which had submitted tenders.

After expressing satisfaction with the way the tender process had been carried out and after noting the next steps (which included having further discussions with FT with a view to reducing their tender costs) the Joint Committee agreed with the recommendations in the report and accordingly

                       

General maintenance at the Crematorium had in the past been carried out as required on an ad hoc and partly planned basis and the Joint Committee considered a report explaining why this approach was no longer adequate. The report went on to set out a proposal to commission an independent survey to obtain the necessary information for producing a budgeted maintenance plan. The report also identified a process for selecting a company to carry out the survey.

The Joint Committee endorsed the proposals in the report and accordingly

           

Since being built in 1965 the Crematorium site had expanded to 22 acres, over half of which was woodland. The trees in the garden of remembrance had been managed reactively by the grounds maintenance staff and the Joint Committee received a report identifying the need to develop a long term woodland development plan, the adoption of which would conserve the landscape and wildlife of the area.

The report went on to explain the process that could be followed to develop this plan by appointing Chiltern Woodlands Project to act as a consultant and provide advice.

The Joint Committee, after recognising that the current arrangements were not satisfactory, supported the proposals in the report and accordingly

Following the decisions made on 24 June 2009 the Joint Committee received a report setting out the progress made in identifying a site for a proposed Crematorium in Aylesbury.

After considering the conclusions from the feasibility study carried out by Classic Cremation Partnership the Joint Committee reaffirmed its wish to provide a new crematorium at Aylesbury, endorsed the approach set out in the report and accordingly