Ashfield Council to give £2m to £7m Mansfield Crematorium refurbishment project

The project was discussed at a meeting of the council’s cabinet on March 17.

The £2m investment will see the facility undergo extensive building works.

Mansfield Crematorium serves the areas of Ashfield, Mansfield, Newark and Sherwood and sits on Derby Road, just off the A60,

The crematorium refurbishment will include the installation of electric cremators, solar panels, rainwater harvesting and heat recovery systems to support the council’s commitments to decarbonisation.

A total of £7.37m will be invested into the project by local councils.

Ashfield will cover its share through a loan and joint crematorium reserves.

The joint committee requested contributions from all three councils, of which Ashfield’s share would be £2m.

The crematorium currently operates two chapels and runs three gas-fuelled cremators.

It has a capacity of 5,088 cremations a year when fully operational.

The crematorium is run by the Joint Crematorium Committee (JCC), which consists of three representatives each from Ashfield Council, Mansfield Council and Newark & Sherwood Council because the site is used by people from across the area.

The JCC met on February 24 and agreed to recommend that the councils undertake the refurbishment programme.

Ashfield Council’s cabinet approved the recommendations with a majority vote.

Coun Tom Hollis (Ash Ind) praised plans for the investment and told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “It is a much-loved facility, and I am really pleased its going to get a lick of new paint.

“I’m happy that the council is getting on with it, the refurbishment is much needed.

"It will be eco-friendly with four brand new electric cremators which is good for the environment.

“The wake facilities will be improved with digital screens, and the remembrance garden will also be improved.

"It’s something very important to me personally.

“Many residents in Ashfield and Mansfield use the crematorium, but it has not had investment in years.

“This project will be great for the district.”

The crematorium generates about £400,000 a year in revenue from its services, documents say.

"The funds are then put into services across Ashfield.

Works are expected to begin in the next 12 months and the crematorium will remain fully operational while building work takes place.

The £2m will be borrowed through prudential borrowing, documents say.