Town cremators to be replaced as part of upgrade

Plans to replace a town's cremators have been approved.

The proposals to replace the two gas cremators at Ipswich Crematorium, in Cemetery Lane, were backed by executive councillors on Tuesday.

Ipswich Borough Council had borrowed just under £1.4m to pay for the existing cremators, £224,000 of which was still being paid back over the next four years.

The authority also approved works to the crematorium building itself, including removing outdated septic tanks, remodelling staff areas and improving visitor facilities.

After the meeting councillor Neil MacDonald, Ipswich's Labour leader, said he was confident the council would continue to provide a good level of service despite the disruption.

He said: "We want to do it with a minimum amount of fuss – it's a difficult time when there's a death in the family, and we want people to have a good quality of service."

The cremators were initially installed in 2012 but were now in need of replacement due to the company going into liquidation - as well as new government rules on the management of cremation services.

Other options were considered, including not replacing them and closing the service, which the authority has provided since 1855.

During the meeting, councillor Ian Fisher, leader of the Conservative group, raised concerns over the council's decision to go with two gas replacements rather than electric options.

He warned the authority would be "behind the curve" by the time the cremators had to be replaced in the future.

Labour councillor for Whitehouse ward, Lucy Trenchard, who proposed the plans, said the council would have to "effectively pull the building down and start again" to accommodate electric cremators, increasing the project's price tag.

The plans were approved by eight votes to one.

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