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Bodies to be cremated three at a time to save money
Last updated at 09:22am on 03.07.07
Coffins will be stored for 24 hours
Dead bodies are to be stored for up to 24 hours after a funeral so they can be cremated in batches to save money on staff overtime, it has emerged.
Council bosses adopted the policy with a pledge to families that their loved ones would "continue to be treated with dignity and care".
But the move has been criticised by an MP who calls it a "disrespectful and undignified" way of saving money. Funeral directors are also unhappy, as they will have to explain the plan to grieving relatives.
Officials at Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council in Lancashire are following national guidelines.
Instead of cremating bodies within an hour of the funeral, the council-run Pleasington Crematorium will be able to store them for up to a day and burn them in batches of three.
It was unclear last night how this would affect the distribution of ashes to relatives.
A letter to funeral directors from service manager Michael Ince said that written consent from relatives would be needed for any body to be held overnight.
He wrote: "The effect of this practice will be to improve our efficiency in terms of saving fuel costs, reducing our environmental impact and cutting down on staff overtime.
"Consultations have taken place with representatives of the Church of England, Roman Catholic, nonconformist, Hindu and Sikh faiths and also with non-religious representatives.
No objections have been raised.
"All bodies retained at the crematorium-will be accommodated in secure and sanitary conditions within the building."
Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans, whose constituents use the crematorium, called the move "disrespectful".
He said: "If people aren't cremated after the service it is quite undignified. They should have respect and diligence for the dead.
"If they don't have enough furnaces they should invest in them. People pay enough for funerals these days.
"Leaving bodies hanging around is not dignified.
"There are ways to do these things. We can save money on all sorts of things - but not on the dead."
Canon Jude Harrison of St Albans Roman Catholic Church in Larkhill, Blackburn, added: "From everyone's point of view, losing on overtime should not be the issue.
It is an understanding and belief there is closure on the day of the service.
"This is a very sensitive area, and many people might wonder if there is any point saving money there."
Peter Andrew, of Blackburn Funeral Services, said the burden of the changes was falling on funeral directors, as it was their responsibility to get consent forms signed by relatives.
He said: "It is very difficult to explain to a grieving family that their mother, father, or whoever, could be left there overnight with other bodies before they are cremated the next day.
"Then they will come back the next day, when there are enough bodies and cremate them. It is not nice at all."
Mr Andrew plans to call a meeting of funeral directors to discuss the change, which was made following revisions to the Federation of Burial and Cremation Authorities code of practice.
Duncan McCallum, the federation's secretary, confirmed that Blackburn with Darwen Council was acting within current guidelines.
He said: "I don't think Blackburn with Darwen has been excessive.
"I am certainly aware of some authorities, which are not members of ours, which hold coffins for up to 72 hours."
Alan Cottam, executive member for regeneration at the council, said he wanted to reassure families that their loved ones would continue to be treated with "dignity and care".
He said: "We thought very carefully before introducing this policy. Not only is this better for the environment, but it enables us to keep down the cost of a cremation, ensuring that an additional burden is not placed on grieving families."
However, other facilities are not changing their policies.
A spokesman for nearby Burnley Borough Council said: "Our policy is to carry out cremations on the same day as the funeral service. There are no immediate plans to change this."
A spokesman for Hyndburn Council, which oversees a crematorium at nearby Accrington, said: "Our policy will not be changing."
Reader views (8)
That is the first I heard from any Labour council trying to save money?!
- Eddy, London
Councils saving money? This is a joke - the government are big spenders and have the taxes to pay for a big administration. Why then are they not cremating people with dignity? Maybe they have not found the right friendly "consultant" yet to spend on...
- Jacqueline, Hampstead, London
Menage a trois in your coffin? Yeah, that's going to go down well... I think it will be met with a "mixed" reaction.
- Jay, London
It is unjust that council governments here in the UK are allowed to waste so much council tax money on "good social causes" but can not provide a proper burial to people.
- Jonathan W, London
Nigel Evans MP has misunderstood this situation. The problem is not that they do not have enough cremators, rather they do not have enough cremations and it is hugely expensive and inefficient to bring the furnace up to temperature for the odd one or two.
- Tonyb, Twickenham
It bring to mind the Monty Python undertakers sketch "and then you get a box of ashes which you can pretend are hers", which is a pretty poor state of affairs.
- Trevor Roll, London
What are they doing then with the hugely increased council taxes etc. that Brown introduced?
- Georgie, London
What if you want to keep a pot of their ashes? Will it be one third your loved one and two thirds other people?
- Roland, Basel, Switzerland
