MORE than £1 million of annual income is generated from a council’s crematorium in North Yorkshire.
The Woodlands Crematorium in Scarborough generates more than £1 million of income a year for North Yorkshire Council, a report has revealed.
The authority is planning to invest £2.5 million to upgrade the cremators at the crematorium, which was constructed in 1961 and has provided a vital service to the local community for more than six decades.
The existing gas-powered cremators, which last for about 20 years, were installed at Woodlands Crematorium in 2004 and need replacing.
Over the past three financial years, the authority recorded income of £3.041 million from cremation fees at the site, which is located near Scarborough Hospital.
The income was generated from 1,000 to 1,100 cremations per year.
The cost of maintaining and operating the cremators is approximately £200,000 per year, which includes servicing and repairs, staff costs, and utility bills.
North Yorkshire Council makes an estimated net surplus of £800,000 a year from running the crematorium, according to a report published by the authority.
The council has said that its upgrade of the site could help it increase income by allowing it to accommodate larger coffins.
The existing cremators are unable to cope with larger coffins due to dimension restrictions, and by installing new cremators, the authority said it could “carry out more cremations per year, potentially providing additional cremation income of approximately £9,000”.
The costs for cremations at Woodlands Crematorium range from free of charge to more than £1,000.
There is no charge for the cremation of a child under 18 years, while a direct cremation without a service is £530.
Early morning services have a reduced rate of £674, while a standard service is £1,060.
A report said that over the last three financial years, annual servicing and call-out maintenance costs for the cremators have cost more than £150,000.
One of the reasons for replacing the cremators is “because of the financial risk of increased maintenance call-out charges and the growing difficulty in sourcing replacement parts for machinery that is now over 20 years old”.
A report states that “the practical impact of this is that due to the growing lead-in time for repairs, the council runs the risk of needing to close the crematorium whilst it implements a back-up plan involving a mobile gas cremator, so whilst the cremators are currently still operational, their age is now a major risk that the service is having to manage.”
Cllr Richard Foster. Nyc
Richard Foster, NYC executive member for managing the environment, said: “The decision to choose like-for-like replacement cremators, rather than electric or hybrid alternatives, would ensure the crematorium stays operational while they are installed and is the most cost-effective option.
“The reduction in gas consumption would cut carbon emissions and improve air quality, both of which support our net zero target of 2030 and would contribute to a more environmentally friendly cremation process.”
Research estimates that upgraded cremators can reduce gas consumption by 25 per cent compared to the older facilities, and replacing them with like-for-like was the most cost-effective option, the authority said.