Agenda item

To receive information from SBC Bereavement Services and a local Funeral Director in relation to this scrutiny topic.

The Committee received verbal evidence from a local funeral director, Shakeel Hussain. He explained that he had a good working relationship with the bereavement team, who he contacted, as well as registrars, as soon as the family informed him of a death to ascertain the possibility of a burial that day.

Mr Hussain informed that in the Muslim faith, burials took place within 24 hours of the death if possible and there were several legal requirements and necessary safeguards that needed to be adhered to. These included sign off by a Medical Examiner as well as the doctor if the death occurred in a hospital. Once the body had been released Mr Hussain and his team collected the body and took it to the mosque to prepare for burial. It was noted that if someone died in the morning it was often possible to hold their burial by 2.30pm the same day. However sometimes the paperwork could not be completed in time and Mr Hussain therefore felt that if the burial times were extended past the current 2.30pm this would assist in arranging the funeral on the same day.

It was noted that currently caskets were placed in wooden frames that were installed in the burial plot. With the soil in Thornaby Cemetery, where the Muslim section was based, being clay based it retained the water in winter and caused problems with the frames. The frame could collapse when soil was placed on top and there had been issues with subsidence. Mr Hussain suggested that installing concrete rings in pre-dug burial plots would be preferred, with the extra cost of these passed on to the family. When questioned why rings were preferred, it was explained that it was a requirement in the Muslim faith that the body touches the ground. In other countries with a hotter climate the body was not placed in a casket but straight into a burial plot, however this was not possible in this country and therefore a casket was used.

The Committee received a presentation from the Bereavement team regarding the different burial vaults available on the market, as follows:

• Wooden frames were introduced during Covid and their use had continued. The frames were built to size, the casket was placed inside, and the lid placed on top before the burial plot being filled. The cost for this option was £1,030 plus £800 for the burial fee.
• Concrete burial vaults, which Middlesbrough Council had previously installed in their cemeteries. The vaults were connected and installed in advance ready for purchasing. The lid would be removed for the casket to be placed in and then replaced, and the burial plot filled. The estimated cost of these would be £20,000 for a minimum order of 16 vaults. Discussions were ongoing with the provider whether a bigger plot size would be required to accommodate the vault.  If the cost was passed on to the family it would increase the fee to an estimated £3,100.
• Concrete burial rings, which Middlesbrough Council had now changed to. They would be installed in advance but could need a bigger plot as there were not connected. A lid would be removed for the casket to be placed in then replaced and the burial plot filled. As there was no bottom to the ring, drainage of water was not an issue and settlement would be less for rings as the soil was settling on the ring. Again, the estimated cost was £20,000 for a minimum order of 16 vaults, with the fee to the family rising to an estimated £3,100.

It was noted that both the concrete vaults and rings would not need to be dug as deep as a traditional burial plot.

• Plastic burial chambers, which were not as sturdy but were a cheaper option at £450 per unit.

It was questioned whether the option of buying a traditional plot would still be available to families if the Council agreed to install burial vaults/rings and officers informed that they would. The vaults/rings would be an enhanced offer for those residents who wished to purchase them. It was suggested by Mr Hussain that the cost of £3,100 was not excessive compared to costs in other parts of the country, there was a demand for the burial rings, and families were willing to pay the extra cost.

Pre-purchasing of plots was discussed. It was noted that in the old Muslim section of Thornaby cemetery, there were gaps between plots where a plot had been pre-purchased but the family not able to use it due to the access needed to dig the plot requiring more time. With burial rings the digging was already done and so any pre-purchased plots could be available to use as required. It was commented that there would be the same issue with pre-purchased plots within other sections of the borough cemeteries and officers noted that these can be factored in when organising the burial due to there being no restrictions on timeframes. It was further noted that new sections of cemeteries had been designed to enable access for equipment to dig the plot.

It was questioned whether the installation of concrete burial rings would allow for later burials, as staffing would not be needed to dig the plot. Officers informed that while it would mean less staff were needed, there would still need two members of staff on site to ensure safety. 

Drawing the session to a close, the Committee thanked Mr Hussain and SBC officers for their contributions.