Decision

RESOLVED:

1. Noted the proposed budget of £9.4 million (m) for construction of a new public mortuary.
2. Authorised procurement of works for the new public mortuary.
3. Approved the Business Plan at Appendix A.
4. Approved a one-off revenue budget of £0.125m to cover service transition costs.
5. Authorised the Director Legal & Democratic in consultation with the Assistant Director Assets & Environment and the Executive Director Finance to enter into long-term contracts with public bodies for the Council to provide mortuary services and to certify them under Section 2 of the Local Government (Contracts) Act 1997.
6. Authorises the Assistant Director Assets & Environment in consultation with the Director Legal & Democratic and Executive Director Finance to enter into leases or licenses to occupy property and any related agreements in connection with agreements under 5

REASONS RESOLVED:

1. The Council, as the responsible authority for the Northamptonshire Coroner’s Area, needs to ensure there is sufficient, secure and suitable provision for the storage of bodies and the conduct of post mortems.
2. To improve the experience for those who are bereaved and who currently have limited access to or poor facilities for viewing their loved ones.
3. Investment in a new public mortuary would remove the need for investment in The Leys temporary mortuary.
4. To achieve net savings for the Council and support wider good use of public resources.
5. To enable, if agreement is reached, efficient entry into contracts for the provision of mortuary services with local NHS providers and/or other public bodies requiring these services, thereby maximising value for money and minimising risk.

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS:

1. Option A: No further action. This would leave the current situation to continue, with services at risk and no opportunity for savings.
2. Option B: WNC proceeds to deliver the new mortuary. This would involve the typical risks in a construction project and also those risks around demand for use of the spare capacity, but would resolve the existing service delivery risks and create opportunities for savings.
3. Option C: WNC promoted a mortuary in arrangement with the private sector. There are a range of forms of this, from something akin to a PFI contract to a ‘block booking’ by WNC anchoring a new private sector facility. All versions would involve significant additional complexity and restrict future flexibility, as well as being likely to result in higher costs.