A proposal to merge Cheshire East Council’s bereavement and cemetery company with its waste collection firm has been dumped, writes Belinda Ryan.
CEC has reviewed its wholly owned companies, also known as ASDVs (alternative service delivery vehicles).
These include Ansa, which provides waste and recycling services along with grounds maintenance, fleet services and street cleansing, and Orbitas, which runs bereavement services, cemeteries and crematoria as well as a handyperson service.
The council’s officers had suggested Orbitas be taken under the wing of Ansa, but councillors trashed the idea.
Cllr Steve Carter, a member of the working group set up to look at ASDVs, told a finance sub-committee there had been concerns about the high levels of domestic waste collection during the lockdowns and the variation of prices received for selling the waste but he said all these matters had been explained.
“We concluded the Ansa business plan was sound and that there was sufficient funds in their reserve to cope with any of the risks,” said Cllr Carter.
He said when looking at Orbitas, and considering whether it was viable, there were three options.
It continues as it is, it merges with Ansa and all staff would be transferred or, thirdly, it be taken back into council control.
He said when the working group had looked at the cost implications there was very little between the three options.
“The margins were so small it was almost ridiculous to choose one of the three, but the officers did make the recommendation that it should be taken into Ansa and the committee [working group] was unanimous that that shouldn’t happen,” said Cllr Carter.
He said councillors had felt there was no reason for such a change.
“We really liked the sort of ethical approach to bereavement that Orbitas offered,” said Cllr Carter.
“Cllr David Marren, as one of the directors, spoke quite passionately about how a lot of bereavement services are very, very expensive, and that having this organisation as part of Cheshire East, offering a very good service and also offering a much cheaper service in many instances, was a proper and just thing for this council to do.
“Not making money out of bereavement, I think, is ethically a very, very positive part of the whole Orbitas brand.”
The working group has requested the Orbitas board works with the Ansa board to look at how they can grow their business.
The finance sub-committee agreed Orbitas should remain as an individual wholly-owned company.
I personally don’t care who is responsible for the disgraceful way the maintenance of the cemetery , It’s a disgrace to the family’s of there family’s final resting place , trees need cutting back grass needs attention hedges also ,Once was kept very tidy ,Now it’s a disgrace particularly at the entrance of it ,heartbreaking to visit the neglected cemetery.
As a member of a voluntary group even small numbers can turn around a badly presented area to something more acceptable, I am sure a better way than moaning of a lost time when life was so much better on many levels than now is to turn to DIY and start up a “Friends of Group” to tackle the eyesore together