A £2.5 million project to replace ageing cremators at Woodlands Crematorium in Scarborough has moved a step closer after North Yorkshire Council approved the next stage of the scheme.
North Yorkshire Council officers have authorised a procurement exercise to replace the crematorium’s two existing cremators and secure a long-term maintenance and servicing package.
The work is expected to begin next summer and be completed by autumn 2027.
The decision follows concerns the authority previously raised about the age of the current cremators, installed in 2004 and now more than two decades old.
When councillors approved the £2.5 million replacement project in August, they were warned that the ageing equipment posed an increasing operational risk and that maintaining the existing cremators was becoming more difficult and expensive.
The authority said annual servicing and maintenance costs had exceeded £150,000 over the previous three financial years.
A newly published report states: “The existing cremators at Woodlands crematorium are due for replacement and continued use will lead to rising maintenance and operational costs.”
The notice adds that failing to replace the equipment was not considered a viable option because continued operation would result in increasing maintenance costs and greater reliability risks.
When the upgrade was approved in August, councillors were told the crematorium currently handles between 1,000 and 1,100 cremations each year and generates an estimated annual net surplus of around £800,000 for the council.
The authority argued that replacing the cremators would protect a service that has operated in Scarborough since 1961.
At the time, executive member Cllr Richard Foster said: “They need to be upgraded and replaced.”
He added that newer cremators would be more energy efficient and environmentally friendly than the existing equipment.
Councillors were also told that the authority planned to replace the cremators one at a time so that services could continue during the works.
Speaking at the August meeting, Cllr Foster said: “The way it’ll work is we’ll close one of the cremators while the other one remains in operation so people can continue to say goodbye to their loved ones in the local area.”
The procurement exercise will now be carried out through the YPO Crematoria Solutions III Framework, with a contract expected to include the supply of two new cremators and a lifetime maintenance package.
The council has previously said the investment could also enable the crematorium to accommodate larger coffins, creating additional capacity and helping increase future income.
By: Anttoni James Numminen, LDRS
