Oakham Cemetery Progress Rutland County Council and Oakham Town Council May 2016
I am pleased to see the progress made by Rutland County Council
All the orange plastic has gone and the place looks a lot tidier.
I am astonished that Oakham Town Council after many years of talking to
Rutland County Council no nearer to being ready to take over the cemetery
than they were this time last year.
I am not surprised to read the deputy leader of Rutland County Council has
written a letter to Oakham Town Council suggesting the working group has
broken the councils code of conduct.
It unfortunate two members were appointed to this group and tarnished
with the unprofessional of the old group members.
Many times I have made suggestions about the way forward and was
ridiculed by the former Mayor. The Town Council is meant to be taking
over the ownership of the cemetery and despite the obvious suggestion
they have not even appointed a solicitor.
We have spent £80 on training the Clerk on how to run a cemetery
We have not tendered for a maintenance contract it is like so much
at Oakham Town Council a embarrassing disaster.
The planning and parks has been cancelled, the following was to be considered
shocking that this is the result of two years progress by one of our working
groups.
Report no.
Appendix:
Agenda
item:
Date of
meeting: 11th May
2016
Report
Author: Councillor Peter Ind
Subject:
Update on possible purchase of cemetery
Strategy:
3.
Improve and increase facilities within the Town.
Background
For well
over a year there has been dialogue with RCC about taking over the
running of Oakham cemetery together with associated land and
buildings.
Progress
Since the
re-formation of the working party various meetings have taken place
as follows
25th
February - working group plus Smithers Purslow.
12th
April - working group plus Smithers Purslow.
21st
April - working group with RCC representatives.
The bulk
of the work proposed by RCC has now been completed. Visual
inspections show considerable improvements to the whole site but
concerns remain about the adequacy of the road works, the overall
condition of the headstones and the general cosmetics. We do not feel
qualified to report on the chapel and other works and feel it is now
appropriate to have our own professional input to evaluate the
overall condition.
The
session with RCC resulted in fairly robust debate with somewhat
entrenched positions. Whilst taking over is still an objective, we
made it clear that we needed to take a business line approach.
A full
risk assessment will be undertaken after survey but current
indicators are that this will be a loss making venture with the
likelihood of significant capital outflow over the years.
Recommendations
- The working group continues dialogue with RCC and works with professional advisors and develop a Business Plan. It is hoped the same personnel can continue for 2016/2017.
- A full survey of the buildings walls and gravestones be undertaken together with comment on the RCC structural appraisal and defects report.
- The £5,500 contribution to maintenance be made in 2016/2017 with a review later in the year about future contributions.
Proposal
We are
obtaining two quotations from suitably qualified organisations and
the figures should be to hand at the meeting for Council decision.
THE COUNCIL IS REQUIRED BY LAW TO OBTAIN THREE QUOTES SOMETHING OAKHAM TOWN COUNCIL IS OFTEN NOT KEEN TO ACHIEVE.
LETTER from deputy Leader of Rutland County Council sent to
Oakham Town Council
