And I wonder how much it all cost!
Here we try to provide some answers to the above question. The information has been collated from the following sources:
- Reigate and Banstead Borough Council's web site
- Other information in the public domain, available via Google search
- Disclosed but heavily redacted 'Business Case' and 'Business Case Review' following a request for information.
Please note WGSPG has not verified the information provided below, we have merely collated the information into one document. We hope this helps provide an answer of sorts to the above question.
We continue to press the Council for further transparency and unredacted copies of the Business Case, Feasibility Study and other documents and cost commentary.
Council's Contracts Register:
https://www.reigate-banstead.gov.uk/info/20037/business/221/procurement/2
March 2019 Dunn & Co £6,900
May 2020 MacConvilles ltd £97,825.00
September - November 2020 Clague LLP £55,315.00
NOTE: Local authorities must publish details of all contracts with a value greater than £5,000.
Other Information:
An industry standard estimate for the cost of building a new single chapel crematorium with one cremator is between £4.5m and £6.5m (Cremation Society of Great Britain).
The cost can vary depending on nature and scale:
- Guildford Crematorium - £10 - 11m - https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/haverstock-submits-plans-for-10m-guildford-crematorium
- West Hertfordshire - £8-9m - https://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/news/18880077.new-west-hertfordshire-crematorium-hemel-hempstead-considered/
- Bradford Crematorium - original budget £6.9m rising by £1.9m - https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/19614080.new-bradford-crematorium-will-cost-2m-originally-estimated/
- Nottinghamshire crematorium - original budget £6.5m, rising by £2m - https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/local-news/further-2m-needed-new-crematorium-4975260
- Wealden - £6m - https://macconvilles.com/work/wealden-crematorium/
How will this be funded?
Document: Capital investment Strategy 2021/22 to 2025/26 July 2020
'Commercial Investment Strategy - Following the allocation of £25m in the 2019/20 Capital Programme a further £50m is recommended for investment in 2020/21 onwards, funded through prudential borrowing.'
Commercial investment, and we assume therefore the crematorium, we believe from the above document will be funded via Prudential Borrowing. Whilst we have requested, through requests for information, the period in years until the full capital cost will be repaid, this information has to date remained withheld.
NOTE: The above is provided for information purposes only, and may not capture the full picture. The information reflects extracts we have been able to identify only.