Cemetery firm pay Rotherham Council almost £400,000 for “performance failures”

RMBC entered into a 35-year contract with Dignity Funerals Ltd for the provision of bereavement services for Rotherham in 2008.

Dignity is responsibility for capital works and maintenance of the East Herringthorpe Cemetery and Crematorium along with the maintenance of the eight other municipal cemeteries located throughout the borough.

Opposition councillors called for action to be taken last April, telling a council meeting that visitors and volunteers had experienced overgrown grass, weeds and brambles, damage to graves and headstones and poor facilities.

They stated in the motion that: “At times poor management and lack of preparation of plots has led to funerals being cancelled at very short notice, causing significant distress to families.

A Dignity spokesperson said: “In the report to Rotherham Council’s Improving Places Select Commission, the Council’s Bereavement Services outlined how Dignity had paid a sum of £232,935 in respect of performance failures.

“The charges were levied against performance failures that occurred during the financial years of 2021/22 and 2022/23.

“Due to the commercial nature of the contract financial details such as annual breakdowns are considered commercially sensitive, therefore, the Council cannot release an annual breakdown of the charges raised against Dignity, however, the report does provide the necessary details of the performance failures.

“As a result of the contract being strictly managed and the application of such charges, Dignity have made significant investments within different cemeteries during 2022 and have committed to future investments to address the performance failures and improve cemetery facilities which has already seen positive feedback from cemetery users and other stakeholders.

“The charges received by the Council have not yet been spent as the expenditure proposals will need to be consulted upon and agreed by Cabinet prior to any funds being spent or committed to projects that remain the responsibility of RMBC Bereavement Services.”

Phillip Horsfield, Rotherham Council’s assistant director for legal services, said: “When Dignity prepared their response to the initial enquiry the amount paid was £232,935.

“Since the date of that response more payments have been made from Dignity to the Council, which takes the total paid to £395k as reported in the published cabinet report dated 23rd January 2023.”