Decision details

At its meeting on 14 March 2023, the Cabinet noted that in 2003 the management arrangements for Stockport Borough Cemetery and operation of the cremation facilities were contracted out to the Co-op Group under a twenty-year agreement. In 2015 this agreement was transferred to Dignity Plc with the approval of Stockport Council. 

The Cabinet then gave approval to delegate approval to implement new arrangements for managing the borough’s bereavement services to the Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Place Management in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Highways, Parks and Leisure Services.

The Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Place Management in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Parks, Highways and Transport Services have then given approval to bring the management of Stockport Borough Cemetery and the cremation facilities operated there back into Council control following the expiry of the agreement with Dignity Plc to run the service which had run from 2003 for a period of twenty years.

A tender process took place to see if there any viable options to have the service delivered externally. As part of this process any external bids were judged against the option of delivering the service in house.  None of the prospective bids provided a better option than in house delivery and so they were discounted.

None.