Urgent repair works to Preston Crematorium will cost a total of more that £85,000.

The crematorium is to be closed for the repairs which include the urgent need to re-line the cremators.

Works have recently been undertaken on one of the cremators with additional works identified to the
other cremator.

Preston Crematorium will be unavailable for Cremations from Thursday 19 August 2021 and the next available day will be Monday 6 September 2021.

Councillor Carol Henshaw, Cabinet member for climate change, said: “The re-lining of the cremators is required every few years to ensure the continued operation of the facility to the highest standard.

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“Cabinet was requested to approve moving the funds set aside in reserve for this cyclical maintenance into budgets for the current year, to enable this essential work to be carried out by specialist contractors.

“The facility will be closed for the shortest time possible in order to minimise the impact upon service users.”

Records indicate that the original cremators were replaced in 1993/94 by Evans Universal, who also carried out all annual servicing and ongoing repairs to the equipment under an agreed three-year maintenance contract.

At the end of this term, tenders were obtained for a new three-year maintenance contract which was won by a different provider.

The Council document says: “Unfortunately, the quality of their Preston City Council performance was so poor that they became liable to be in breach of the conditions of their contract. In order for the contract to continue it was ultimately agreed that contractor A should re-employ the original installers”

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During a recent routine service, carried out by Facultative Technologies Limited, it was noted that the brick chamber in one of the cremators was about to collapse.

The Crematorium Manager was advised to shut down the cremator immediately to avoid catastrophic damage.

The total cost of all works undertaken are estimated at £86,933 with £42,180 of urgent works having already been undertaken.

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