Agenda and draft minutes

To receive any apologies for absence

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors: Green, Smith Thomas and Mr & Mrs Hayday.

The Chairman announced that from the September cycle of meetings he wished to encourage apologies to be submitted in advance wherever possible as opposed to receiving last minute apologies at the meeting.

To confirm the minutes of the last meeting held on 11 June 2024.

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the last meeting held on 11 June 2024 be confirmed as a true record

To receive any declarations of interest

Cllr Raja declared an interest in agenda item 4 (Penn Road and High Wycombe Cemeteries extended operational hours and proposed fees) in his capacity of Vice Chairman of the Self Help Bereavement Society.

Members considered a longstanding and previously much debated issue appertaining to the extension of operational hours and the proposed fees for the cemeteries at Penn Road and High Wycombe. The report requested that the proposed extended operational hours and interment fees be approved and that these be reviewed six months following its implementation.

The report stated that currently burials were permitted to take place Monday- Saturday 10am-3.30pm during summertime and between 9am-2pm during the rest of the year excluding Bank or other public holidays. The cost of providing a burial service for 7 days and 4 non- religious Bank Holidays, and an extension of Monday- Friday burial times to include a 3pm interment between November and January, was detailed in Appendix 1 to the report.

Appendix 2 highlighted the proposed fees for 2024-25, which had been the outcome of thorough and in- depth discussions held by the Cemeteries sub- group. It was reported that the group had looked at three different options and had agreed to increase all interment fees by 20% which would achieve recovery of costs and which did not increase any individual fee disproportionately.

Members conveyed their wholehearted thanks and appreciation to the officers who had worked tirelessly on this matter with commitment and dedication. The Chairman also expressed his thanks to all the Members and officers who had collectively contributed to bringing this issue to a close.

RESOLVED: That subject to formal approval,

(i)                  The proposed extended operational hours be agreed,

(ii)                The cemetery interment fees effective from 9 September be agreed,

(iii)              The arrangement relating to operational hours and fees be reviewed in six months following its implementation.   

10 September

The next meeting was scheduled to be held on Tuesday 10 September 2024 at 7pm at QVR.