Agenda and draft minutes
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Venue: Council Chamber, Civic Centre, Windmill Street, Gravesend DA12 1AU. View directions
Contact: Committee Section
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Apologies for Absence Minutes: No apologies for absence.
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Minutes: The minutes of the Operational Services Cabinet Committee held on Monday, 3 June 2024 were signed by the Chair.
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Declarations of Interest Minutes: No declarations of interests were made.
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Cemetery Update Report PDF 6 MB Minutes: The Committee was provided with a presentation that gave an update on Gravesham’s Cemeteries, plot availability and future plans.
The presentation has been published and can be accessed through the below link:
The Cemeteries & Allotment Manager fielded questions from Members and explained that:
· Members of the public were able to purchase spaces within Gravesham’s cemeteries if there was availability which gave them ownership rights for sixty years. If a gravestone fell into disrepair, it was the responsibility of the grave space owner however if the gravestone was in a state where it was a health and safety issue then Council officers would make it safe either by lying the stone down or sitting it upright, whilst maintaining visibility of any inscription. Only in the most extreme cases of health and safety would a gravestone be taken to a Council site and stored until the grave space owners could be contacted · As of today, none of the space owners had come close to end of the sixty year periods. The most likely course of action once sixty year period expired was that relatives of the grave site owner would be contacted by council officers and given the option to purchase the site for an extended amount of time, typically another twenty years. Under current legislation, grave site spaces could only be purchased for a maximum of ninety nine years · There was legislation in place which meant that war graves were maintained, in perpetuity, by the Commonwealth War Grave Commission. The Cemeteries & Allotment Manager had contacted the Commission several times in the past when a war grave in Gravesham had fallen into disrepair and within twenty four hours, they had sent someone to repair the graves · Members raised concern about negative feedback received previously concerning the rewilding of Gravesham cemeteries; the Cemeteries & Allotment Manager advised that the team had received very few negative comments this year and, on many occasions, had received positive comments once the work had been explained and before and after photos of the site shown. Some residents only visited sparsely and hadn’t seen the positive impact of the rewilding scheme; the council officers who were regularly on the site were well informed and were also able to discuss and allay residents’ concerns in person. Additionally, having schools and other community groups use the cemeteries recreationally had produced positive word of mouth which improved resident views on the rewilding schemes and its associated benefits · With regards to the possibility of being buried in churchyards, if the churchyard was classified as ‘closed’ then burials were not happening on site anymore, even if there was space available. Applications could be made to reopen the cemetery, but it was unlikely as it was an expensive process for churches to follow. The only stipulation the Cemeteries & Allotment Manager was aware of for being buried in a churchyard, if available, was that the deceased had to be a ... view the full minutes text for item 10. |
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Parks and Open Spaces Update PDF 823 KB Minutes: The Committee was provided with a report that updated them on the current work undertaken by the Parks & Open Spaces Team.
The Parks & Open Spaces Manager took Members through the report and highlighted key points regarding:
· Open Space Management · Play parks, gym areas and tennis courts · Football pitches · Monuments · Waterfront safety · Volunteering · Green Hubs Community Funding · Future Works
The Parks & Open Spaces Manager fielded questions from Members on each section of the report in turn and explained that:
Open Space Management
Play parks, gym areas, pitches and tennis courts
Monuments
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Corporate Register of Partnerships - July 2024 PDF 339 KB Additional documents: Minutes: The Committee was provided with information on the Councils involvement in partnerships that were within the remit of this Committee.
The Assistant Director (Operations) and the Head of Community Protection gave a brief overview of the current partnerships and joint working arrangements that most directly related to the work of the Operational Services Cabinet Committee:
Appendix one provided a detailed breakdown of the partnership entries specifically in relation to the Operational Services Cabinet Committee.
Members noted the report.
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Corporate Performance Report: Q1 2024-25 PDF 149 KB Additional documents: Minutes: The Committee was provided with a report that updated them against the Performance Management Framework, as introduced within the council’s Corporate Plan, for Quarter One 2024-25 (April to June 2024).
Appendix One to the report provides Members with a complete overview of the council’s performance against the Corporate Plan for Quarter One 2024-25, covering the period April to June 2024.
The Committee considered each performance indicator in turn and highlighted the following:-
Members noted the report. |