Decision details

The cremators at Canford Crematoria require replacement for the following four main reasons:
1. Canford’s four gas cremators are approximately 40 years old, with cremators typically requiring full replacement after 30 years.
2. Canford Crematorium is BCC’s single highest emitter of carbon. New electric cremators will help to meet the Council’s 2023 carbon reduction targets and reduce energy costs.
3. The current cremators are not fitted with flue gas mercury abatement (filtration) equipment. Although currently complaint, an anticipated change to regulations is expected which will mandate 100% mercury abatement. 4/ Revenue generated by the crematoria supports the wider council cemeteries and parks operations.
The change from gas to lower carbon electric cremators and the installation of modern filtration equipment will require alterations to the existing crematoria building and energy supply. The initial phase of this project involves conducting site surveys and designing the required structural, mechanical, and electrical alterations to the building. This phase will also address issues such as planning consent, contractor procurement, risk management and develop an operational plan for works delivery phase. The purposed of this report is to record the decision to allocate a budget of £350k to complete this design and development work.
The project has a significant decarbonisation component; therefore, the design and development will be completed by Bristol City Leap, which is a 20-year strategic partnership between the council and the private company Ameresco to deliver low carbon energy infrastructure projects. The project will be allocated funding from the Council’s own Decarbonisation Fund. The project is also potentially eligible for central government decarbonisation grants under the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS).

To approve the allocation of a total of £350k to commence cremator replacement design and development utilising the Bristol City Leap Concession Agreement.

During 2022/2023 one of the councils’ strategic partners, Mott MacDonald (MM), completed a Cemetery and Crematorium Commercial Strategy Review for Bristol City Council. The review considered all the council cemeteries and it’s two crematoria (Canford and South Bristol Crematorium) and ‘presented advice on how best to invest in the Service to ensure its delivery meets the needs of its own stakeholders, the public, and the environment, whilst ensuring a return on investment which can be incorporated into the Council’s annual budget.’ The review considered four main options, including the sale of assets. MM concluded there were two options that warrant further investigation, both comprised One Cemetery, Two Crematoria, the variants being public sector control or a PPP (Public / Private Partnership) arrangement.
In 2024 the specialist consultant CDS (Cemetery Development Services) Group undertook a review of the two preferred options. CDS concluded that the retention of a BCC operated bereavement service, with two crematoria and one cemetery under public sector control was the most advantageous option for BCC. The Council accepted the recommendations of the CDS report. To continue cremation operations at Canford the aging cremators would require replacement.