Agenda for this meeting

Present: Cllr. E J Derrick (Chairman)

Cllrs. Mrs. M A Button, C Rich and J P Rich.

There were no questions or comments.

1. Minutes of a Burial Committee meeting held on 10th November 2003

These minutes, which had been previously circulated were taken as read, agreed a true record and signed by the Chairman.

2. Matters arising from the minutes of 10^th November 2003

Item 3(c)

Clerk was asked if the trees in the Churchyard had now been made safe. He informed the meeting that the PCC had used a professional tree surgeon to rectify the problems although there were still a few places where the perimeter bushes were overhanging the footpath. He would get the caretaker to trim.

3. To consider the level of charges in the Cemetery

Clerk reminded members that, at the meeting of 10^th November 2003, it had been suggested that burial charges should be reviewed at this meeting. Clerk had been able to obtain charges made at two comparable parishes run cemeteries and one run by a town council. The scales had been circulated to all members of this committee together with the figures from Paulton PC, which had been obtained by Cllr. J P Rich. Cllr. J P Rich had then laid out all the figures in a tabular form.

Cllr. Mrs. E V Latchem said that the Finance Committee had asked that every committee looks further ahead when fixing its precept and that they should also consider all possible income. Mrs. Latchem was very much aware that costs in the Cemetery and Churchyard had risen tremendously and plant and machinery was now so much more expensive to buy and service. She felt that at least the caretakers' wages should be covered by the burial charges.

Chairman said that the cemetery had always been subsidised by the precept and the £75,000 received from the contractors who built the by-pass. He was not happy that the Finance Committee was telling this committee how to run its affairs.

Cllr. J P Rich commented that the £75,000 had recently been used for nothing - it just sat there. He did know of a case where a funeral director had suggested to a client that Peasedown St John Cemetery should be used as, even after being charged double fees, it was still much cheaper than any other in the area.

As it seemed that the majority of the committee felt that a rise should be looked at, it was agreed to look again at the table of comparisons. It was felt that charges based just below the mean average of the four samples were reasonable.

The Clerk said that, if the averaged out charges had been used this year, the income would have paid the Caretakers' basic wages for the year.

Cllr. J P Rich proposed that full Council be asked to approve that Cemetery charges be raised in line with the document presented to the Burial Committee. The new charges to be made in accordance with Statutory Instrument 1977/204, art 15(1) and Sch 2, Part II, para 6 and that the charges shall become payable on 1^st April 2005.

Cllr. C Rich seconded the proposal and it was agreed.

Clerk was asked to compose a fair copy of the proposed charges for presentation to full Council and eventually if approved should be sent to all undertakers known to use the Cemetery.

It was also recommended that the Burial Committee (or sub-committee) look at the charges every year.

4. Estimates for the year 2005/6

The estimates set out by the Clerk were endorsed after a few explanations.

The meeting closed at 7.45 p.m.