IS Gwent Crematorium going to see its use affected by the development of new private cremation facilities nearby?

At a meeting of Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council’s Labour Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, October 16 the question came up as councillors discussed the revenue budget performance during the period covering April to the end of June.

Portfolio holder for regeneration Cllr John Morgan said: “Over the last year or so a number of private crematoria have been opened in Gwent, one in Blackwood and one down near Newport.

“Is that having any effect on the number of bookings in Croesyceiliog?”

Director of regeneration and property Ellie Fry said: “We did have that as a risk because we knew these were opening.

“! don’t have the data in terms of bookings.”

Ms Fry told Cllr Morgan she would find out and get back to him.

Gwent Crematorium serves the local authorities of Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport, and Torfaen.

While the crematorium is based at Croesyceiliog near Cwmbran in Torfaen, the facility is run on behalf of all five authorities by Newport City Council.

Meetings of the “Greater Gwent Cremation Joint Committee” are held every three months or so to report on its running to councillors representing all five authorities.

The committee last met in September.

Data which was presented to councillors in September show the number of cremations held at the facility this year up to the end of August.

This year’s figures to August show that there have been 69 more cremations than for the same period in 2023.

But the total number of cremations at the facility each year has seen a downward trend during the last decade.

The number of cremations has fallen from 2948 in 2016 to 1225 in 2023.

Reports on the crematorium are supposed to go to Blaenau Gwent’s Partnerships committee.

The committee have said they want to review all the relevant documents and accounts for the crematorium.

Also, a “link” officer from Blaenau Gwent is expected to liaise and hold regular meetings with Newport Council about the crematorium.

These changes to strengthen the relationship between Blaenau Gwent and the crematorium were agreed by all councillors a year ago – and follows a review by the council of how it scrutinises companies and organisations it has a stake in.

The review follows a damning report by Audit Wales in January 2022 which highlighted “deficiencies” in the governance and oversight arrangement of the council’s arm’s length company, Silent Valley Waste Services.