Issue - meetings

To secure agreement to amending the Council’s Capital Programme for the 2021-22 Financial Year to make a provision for planned capital works to be undertaken at Spalding Cemetery and approve the draw-down of the Spalding Special Expenses Reserve to fund revenue works (report of the Portfolio Holder for Assets & Planning enclosed).

Consideration was given to the report of the Portfolio Holder for Assets and Planning which sought to secure agreement to amend the Council’s Capital Programme for the 2021-22 Financial Year to make provision for planned capital works to be undertaken at Spalding Cemetery and approve the draw-down of the Spalding Special Expenses Reserve to fund revenue works.

The Portfolio Holder for Assets and Planning presented the report and explained that improvements had already been undertaken at the Cemetery over the past three months, and that further improvements were now planned.

The Portfolio Holder for Health and Wellbeing, Conservation and Heritage expressed her support for the improvements being made at the Cemetery and was proud to have been instrumental in raising the profile of the Cemetery over the last few years.

Members commented that a churchyard reflected its community, and requested that Spalding Cemetery be maintained to a consistent, suitable standard.

The Portfolio Holder for Assets and Planning extended his thanks to the Cemetery volunteers who had helped with the upkeep of the Cemetery.

(Councillor Tyrrell left the room at 19:00 during this item and returned for the next Agenda item)

DECISION:

1)    That the Council’s Capital Programme for the Financial Year 2021-22 be amended to provide a capital allocation to fund works required to be undertaken at Spalding Cemetery, Pinchbeck Road, Spalding.

2)    That the net capital receipt proceeds from the sale of the Cemetery Gatehouse (£151k), sold in 2008 and previously providing a revenue income towards the running of the cemetery, be used to fund the capital works referred to in recommendation 1 above.

3)    That the allocation of up to £20k from the Council’s Capital Programme, as a sum set aside as project contingency, be approved.

4)    That a sum of up to £26k of the Spalding Special Expenses Reserve, to be used to fund enabling works (revenue item works required to be undertaken prior to the capital funded works commencing) be approved.

5)    To note that following a procurement exercise to determine a suitable contractor to undertake the capital works, a further decision would be required, in this case a Portfolio Holder decision, to enable the award of a contract for these works.