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The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
RESOLVED to elect County Borough Councillor A Fox as Chair of the Joint Committee for the 2026-27 Municipal Year.
RESOLVED to approve as an accurate record, the minutes of the meeting of the Llwydcoed Crematorium Joint Committee held on 10th March 2026.
RESOLVED to agree the calendar of meetings for the 2026-27 Municipal Year.
RESOLVED; To note the Statistics and Performance in respect of Llwydcoed Crematorium.
RESOLVED; • To note the report. • To note the unaudited Annual Return for the year ended 31st March 2026 as presented. (Appendix 1); and • That the Chair of the Joint Committee signs the Approval and Certification section of the Annual Return.
There were no declarations of interest in matters pertaining to the agenda.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED to elect County Borough Councillor A Fox as Chair of the Joint Committee for the 2026-27 Municipal Year.
RESOLVED to elect County Borough Councillor A Fox as Chair of the Joint Committee for the 2026-27 Municipal Year.
RESOLVED to appoint County Borough Councillor D Isaac as Vice-Chair of the Joint Committee for the 2026-27 Municipal Year.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED to approve as an accurate record, the minutes of the meeting of the Llwydcoed Crematorium Joint Committee held on 10th March 2026.
The Chair took the opportunity to congratulate Committee Members on their recent achievements: Cllr Ann Crimmings on becoming Leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council, Cllr David Isaac on becoming Mayor of Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council, and Cllr J Cook on her recent wedding. RESOLVED to approve as an accurate record, the minutes of the meeting of the Llwydcoed Crematorium Joint Committee held on 10th March 2026.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED to agree the calendar of meetings for the 2026-27 Municipal Year.
Members were asked to consider the proposed calendar of quarterly meetings for the Joint Committee for the 2026-27 Municipal Year. Members agreed that the current arrangement of holding meetings virtually has been effective in consistently achieving quorum. It was RESOLVED to agree the calendar of meetings for the 2026-27 Municipal Year.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED; To note the Statistics and Performance in respect of Llwydcoed Crematorium.
The Bereavement Services Manager provided Members with the Statistics and Performance figures relating to the operation of the Crematorium since the last meeting. Members requested a cost comparison with neighbouring crematoria. The Bereavement Services Manager confirmed that the direct cremation fees charged by neighbouring crematoria are higher than those at Llwydcoed. However, some neighbouring crematoria offer significant discounts to independent funeral directors who are members of national association of independent funeral directors. The Bereavement Services Manager further explained that other crematoria offer tailored service packages, with additional charges applied for optional services. In contrast, Llwydcoed provides a fixed package. This provides a difficult challenge to compare like for like services, but the overall costs are broadly similar. Members queried whether there were opportunities to reduce fees and charges. The Bereavement Services Manager advised that meetings had been held with local funeral directors to encourage greater use of Llwydcoed Crematorium. It was explained that, should more funeral directors commit to using the facility, there would be a stronger case for reviewing and potentially reducing fees and charges for service users. Members considered whether efficiencies could be introduced to help reduce utility costs. The Bereavement Services Manager advised that, due to recent issues with the cremators, the installation of the DeNOx abatement system had been delayed. The system is intended to reduce emissions and has the potential to reduce fuel consumption. The Bereavement Services Manager further advised that plans to introduce holdover facilities would provide greater flexibility in scheduling cremations, which could lead to reduced fuel consumption and improved staff scheduling. The introduction of the system is proposed for later this year and is estimated to achieve a reduction in fuel consumption of up to 20%. Members questioned whether advice had been received from Traffic Services on scheduled road closures. The Bereavement Services Manager confirmed that the service receives advance notification of scheduled road closures from Traffic Services and maintains regular communication with funeral directors to ensure funeral parties are informed. It was further noted that these arrangements have worked effectively and have helped to minimise disruption to funeral services. Following consideration of the information contained within the report of the Bereavement Services Manager it was further RESOLVED; To note the Statistics and Performance in respect of Llwydcoed Crematorium.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED; • To note the report. • To note the unaudited Annual Return for the year ended 31st March 2026 as presented. (Appendix 1); and • That the Chair of the Joint Committee signs the Approval and Certification section of the Annual Return.
The Group Accountant provided Members with information relating to the unaudited Annual Return for the Year Ended 31st March 2025 and the Internal Audit Report Llwydcoed Crematorium issued 8th April 2025. Members sought clarification on paragraph 4.4, bullet point 3, concerning Supplies & Services expenditure, which was higher than budgeted primarily due to increased live streaming costs. The Group Accountant confirmed that the additional expenditure is fully offset by the income received from the service and advised that the 2026/27 budget would be amended accordingly to reflect the increased level of activity. Following consideration of the report, it was RESOLVED; • To note the report. • To note the unaudited Annual Return for the year ended 31st March 2026 as presented. (Appendix 1); and • That the Chair of the Joint Committee signs the Approval and Certification section of the Annual Return.
With agreement of the Chair, the Inspection Report of Llwydcoed Crematorium was presented to Members as an urgent item of business.
The Bereavement Services Manager presented the Federation of Burial and Cremation Authorities (FBCA) inspection report following the inspection of Llwydcoed Crematorium on 21st May 2026. The Bereavement Services Manager advised that the Crematorium had been awarded an overall grading of Outstanding. It was noted that the observations raised within the report would have been fully compliant had the planned works not been delayed. The Bereavement Services Manager further advised Members that FBCA environmental requirements continue to increase and that additional investment may be necessary to maintain compliance. Members expressed their appreciation for the service and welcomed the positive findings of the inspection, noting that the report provided independent confirmation of the high standards maintained by the service.
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