City’s green crematorium wins council cabinet approval

Kieran Molloy, Local democracy reporter

A new green crematorium is coming to Cardiff after the council cabinet gave it the go-ahead.

Cardiff Council currently operates one crematorium in Thornhill. But according to a report presented to the cabinet it is “dated in its appearance” and technology.

It has been decided the council will develop a new crematorium at junction 30 of the M4, known as the Dutch Garden Centre, on land already owned by the council.

This would be a “new, modern, purpose-built cremation facility and employ green methods around construction and long-term operation”.

It would include the introduction of electric cremators as opposed to traditional gas-fuelled machines, which can reduce carbon emissions by up to 80%.

All maintenance and ancillary equipment will be electric/battery-operated and charged using solar power.

This is called “cutting-edge environmental technology” in the report.

While the transition to electric cremators does involve “significant” upfront investment but will “ultimately deliver long-term operational savings and environmental benefits”.

According to the report “electric cremators produce 50–80% less CO2 than gas cremators depending on the number of cremations per day and the energy tariff used”.

The new location at the Dutch Garden Centre is also a benefit as it is easily accessible from Cardiff and the surrounding areas.

The report reads: “Cardiff is the only one of the Core Cities group to have a single crematorium – all the others have at least two, some have three. Having a second crematorium increases the council’s resilience and is a significant factor for wider business continuity planning.”

During the meeting Cllr Norma Mackie, cabinet member for waste, street scene, and environmental services, said it provided a “viable alternative” for those wanting a “green burial” and the development will remain “as green as possible throughout”.

Conservative group leader Cllr John Lancaster said he was “not quite convinced of the rationale for running two sites” but was told that it would improve the council’s “resilience” in this area.