Issue - meetings

(Report of the Director of Place and Sustainability – To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Environment) – The purpose of this report is to provide the results of the recent informal tender disposal exercise for Bereavement Services and to seek Cabinet approval of the preferred bidder and disposal of the Council’s Bereavement Services.

The Cabinet received a report that provided an overview of the results of the recent informal tender disposal exercise for Bereavement Services. The report also sought approval of the preferred bidder and disposal of the Bereavement Service.

It was noted that three bids had been received and evaluated and it was recommended that ‘Company A’ should be selected as the preferred bidder.

The Cabinet was advised that the potential for re-using graves had been explored; however the costs attached to work that would need to be undertaken to make this viable outweighed any income that could be derived from this. It was noted that the heads of terms would state that the Council’s permission would need to be obtained if the successful company wanted to pursue the re-use of graves.  

Further discussion took place under Item 25 which contained exempt information with respect to this report and this is set out the exempt minutes of the meeting.

RESOLVED:

1. That on completion of the proposals described in 3.2 of the report the Council would cease to directly provide crematorium and cemetery services (‘Bereavement Services’).

2. That the disposal of the Council’s Bereavement Services as a going concern and its three sites, known as Enfield Crematorium, Tottenham Cemetery and Wood Green Cemetery be approved. 

3. That ‘Company A’ be selected as the preferred bidder and its bid, as set out in paragraph 2.2 of the Exempt report.

4. That ‘Company B’ be selected as the reserve bidder and its bid, as set out in paragraph 2.2 of the Exempt report.

5. That the preferred bidder would produce an agreed Conservation and Biodiversity Management Plan to cover all three sites during the negotiation on final terms and conditions and before the date of disposal.

6. That Cabinet delegates authority to the Director of Place and Sustainability, in conjunction with the Cabinet Member for Environment, to agree the final heads of terms and related sale and lease agreements.