Cheltenham Crematorium
The construction of Cheltenham’s new crematorium began in October 2017. Work progressed well and the first funeral took place on 4th March.
Two new chapels have been built; the first has capacity for 150 mourners whilst the second has space for more than 75.
There is available parking for over 100 vehicles and mourners will arrive through the gates of the current cemetery and use its already existing road network to reach the new site, benefitting from the very special atmosphere of the old Victorian cemetery and the views towards the Cotswold Hills. Other than the funeral cortege itself, all mourners will leave the new crematorium along a new road just outside the current southern boundary of the cemetery.
Ken Dale, Programme Manager at Cheltenham Borough Council explains his involvement in the lengthy project:
“About five years ago we realised that the current facilities were struggling. We had problems with the existing crematorium because of unreliable cremators, restricted parking and limited space in the old chapels. At that point we decided to look at how we could sustain our service to Cheltenham and too many other communities across large areas of Gloucestershire and its surrounding counties. At that point I got involved and we began the project with a feasibility study.
“We had many options but the decision to build afresh, whilst ambitious and expensive, was the wisest choice. We’re fortunate because the cemetery sits in a beautiful location on the eastern side of Cheltenham beneath the Cotswold escarpment. It’s been there since the 1860s and has been extended gradually, and we were fortunate to own additional land beyond the current cemetery edge which provided the ideal site for our new chapels and crematorium.”
Following public consultations in 2015 and 2017, plans were finalised taking the overwhelming support for a new build into account. Planning permissions were granted by Cheltenham Borough Council and Tewkesbury Borough Council in summer 2017.
By incorporating Cotswold stone features, the new buildings reflect their setting in the local landscape and benefit from extensive views towards the hills, generating a tranquil and beautiful environment for families and friends of the deceased.
Reflecting on the motivation behind the building’s design, Ken added: “Obviously the crematorium is a very sensitive place, so it’s really important you try and get the right atmosphere, giving people a chance to say goodbye to whoever’s died and a sense of serenity and calm, free from distraction. We’re fortunate in that we’ve got beautiful surroundings but the building plays a huge part in that too.
“It’s been a big learning curve, but it’s great to come out at the end of a project which has been hard work with so many different people and contractors’ working on it, so I think it’s something we can all be very proud of. People have come together to put something in place that will hopefully last for generations.”
Timetable of works:
2 October 2017 – work started on site. The first phase created a route for construction traffic outside the boundary with the cemetery to reach the site of the new buildings.
January 2018 – The temporary access road was completed. Work began on the main site.
March 2018 – Erection of the steel frame began.
April 2018 – Erection of the steel frame completed.
October 2018 – Delivery of the new cremators followed by their commissioning and testing.
March 2019 – Opening of the new crematorium. Removal of the temporary access road and completion of the permanent exit road.
Facultatieve Technologies
In July 2017 Facultatieve Technologies (FT) were nominated as the preferred supplier for the cremation equipment for the newly built crematorium in Cheltenham. FT is the leading name in cremation equipment throughout the world using up to date technology to comply with the most stringent emissions standards.
In the last quarter of 2018 FT operatives arrived on site at the start of a 12 week installation programme. The installation comprising of two FT III Cremators each weighing 14 tonnes and associated flue gas treatment equipment was installed using a 200 tonne crane in to the newly built building.
Due to the physical size of the crane and the layout of the site the equipment was lifted over the building into the service yard and manoeuvred into position before finally installing the 10m stack.
Working alongside the building contractor and Cheltenham Borough Council to achieve the required aesthetic finish of the crematory the Installation was completed in January of 2019 with the open day planned for late February.
