Huge investment into Dewsbury crematorium confirmed

Dewsbury Crematorium will be the subject of a multi-million modernisation after a plan was approved by councillors this week.
Dewsbury CrematoriumDewsbury Crematorium
Dewsbury Crematorium

More than £3m will be spent on the work, which will also see upgrades to a site in Huddersfield.

And whilst the work to replace outdated, ageing and unreliable cremators is carried out cremations will continue “albeit at a reduced number”.

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The three cremators in Huddersfield and two in Dewsbury currently handle around 3,000 cremations a year.

Kirklees Council says that the replacement of the inefficient equipment, with the option to install a third cremator in Dewsbury in the future, has been planned for some time.

It says the investment will provide confidence in service delivery by preventing breakdowns and “ever-increasing manual intervention” to ensure families at a loved one’s funeral receive “a stress-free and respectful” cremation service.

The new equipment will also feature emission controls to meet the council’s need to abate crematorium emissions. By 2020 all crematoria across the UK will need to comply with a zero emissions rate for mercury found in dental amalgam, which can be emitted into the air from the incinerator stack.

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The multi-million pound contract, with a maintenance element running for 15 years, is expected to be awarded this month.

Simultaneously the sites will receive “front of house improvements” including upgrades to cold storage facilities and, in Dewsbury, some structural changes.

Installation will begin in Dewsbury in December and will run for 20 weeks until April 2019.