Crematorium to be shut down for ‘vital’ maintenance work

The facility, which serves communities in North Kirklees, will be closed from Monday October 21.

Work will include the installation of a new central heating system and a web-based music system for services, an upgrade of the electricity supply, and replacing and repairing roofs.

Coun Cathy Scott, cabinet member for place, said: “The work is an investment in services for the local community and will benefit users of the crematorium.

“As the boiler is being replaced, the shutdown period will be used to good effect to complete other vital maintenance work and refurbishment before the winter.”

Kirklees Council had promised to replace the crematorium for many years, but shelved the plans in 2011 because of budget cuts.

Dewsbury Regeneration Board chairman Coun Paul Kane said: “We’re not getting the new crematorium that we thought, but a least in these hard times we’re still getting this investment.”

The council said this week that plans were in place to accommodate some extra services at Huddersfield Crematorium.

It said arrangements had also been made for extra services at crematoria in neighbouring authorities.

Coun Kane said everything possible had been done to reduce the length of the closure.

He added: “We’ve been working with local funeral directors to enable us to do that.”

Preliminary work, which begins on Monday, will be carried out in the early morning to limit disruption to services.

But the crematorium will be closed between October 21 and November 11 while the majority of work takes place.