Progress on £130k repairs to fix ‘significant’ health and safety issues at Mansfield Crematorium

This includes work to repair the mezzanine floor, fix a water leak and stop smoke funnelling into parts of the Derby Road site.

Another project to install new fire doors, remove ducting, and repair and build walls is also expected to begin at the start of March.

Four separate contracts to fix health and safety concerns at the crematorium site were agreed in May.

In total, the overall repairs were forecast to cost as much as £130,000.

One contract, costing £25,000, required the mezzanine floor to be repaired because of concerns over its condition. This work has since been completed and the floor no longer poses a safety risk to visitors.

The latest Mansfield Crematorium Joint Committee meeting heard other projects to make the site safe have made progress or will begin soon.

A £30,000 contract included work on the building’s water supply following problems with leaks, water pressure and quality. Severn Trent has now identified and repaired the leak.

A £35,000 contract to install new fire doors, remove ducting, install a partition wall and improve the Thoresby Chapel is expected to start next month, with the wall to prevent staff receiving “no protection” from the cremators’ hot surfaces.

Another contract, estimated at £40,000, will see refurbishments of vents and flue sections of each cremator, after concerns flues were funnelling smoke and fumes into the building.

Nada Colclough, Mansfield Council crematorium and cemeteries manager said: “The identified water leak has been repaired, but progress has halted on the installation of the new water pipe. We need to understand the capacity requirements and we don’t want to have this as a two-stage project because it will increase costs.

“The fire doors, ducting removal and other works, we’re looking at that starting at the beginning of March and we’ve been waiting on the fire doors.

“The flue works had been on hold waiting for the suction survey, but the majority of the works have been completed.

“The mezzanine flooring has been completed.”

Committee members, including representatives from Mansfield, Ashfield and Newark & Sherwood Councils, noted the progress.