Details of changes in the cemetery sites revealed
Nanpantan site replaced Allendale Road idea
COUNCIL chiefs have revealed why they did not, at first, pick out the Nanpantan site as the preferred option for Loughborough’s new cemetery.
Coun Jewel Miah asked a question at a meeting of Charnwood Borough Council’s full council why, a year after the Cabinet made a decision on Allendale Road, Loughborough, being the site of the new cemetery, it was now proposed that a site in Nanpantan, Loughborough will be the site of the cemetery instead.
He said: “Can the leader explain why he and the Cabinet first unequivocally endorsed Allendale Road? And what led them to change their minds?
“Can he explain why the Nanpantan site wasn’t put forward as a proposal in the first instance when they made their decision about Allendale Road?
“How much extra cost has been incurred to the taxpayers of Charnwood both actual and in cost of officers’ time/salary over the past year to reach this final decision?
“Can he confirm to council what lessons have been learnt by this debacle?”
In reply, council leader Coun Jonathan Morgan said: “The initial decision identified Allendale Road as the preferred location for a new cemetery. This decision was called-in and referred back to Cabinet for further consideration with comments from the council’s Scrutiny Management Board. Cabinet listened to the concerns raised by Scrutiny Management Board and decided that further work was required by officers on this matter.
“Over the last 12 months officers have conducted further assessments on the viability of the identified sites and an extensive public consultation exercise has taken place prior to this matter coming back to Cabinet.
“Having been appraised on the further work completed by officers, and having looked at the responses to the consultation conducted in August and September 2018, Cabinet decided that Nanpantan Road is the preferred site for the cemetery. The reasons for this are set out in the Cabinet report of October 18.
“It is important to note that all proposed sites were deemed suitable for cemetery provision, with some mitigation also needed for each site. Additional site appraisals were therefore completed on all options including the Nanpantan site at a cost of £11,984. The Nanpantan site was put forward as a potential site in the initial Cabinet report which was considered in October 2017. In the end the project board placed weight on the issue of greater longevity offered by the preferred option.
“This is an excellent illustration of the effectiveness of the decision making systems in the council and the value added by Scrutiny. The checks and balances operated as they should within the council in a way that led to further examination of the proposals. Following this the proposals were endorsed through public consultation where we listened to our residents’ views.”