To appoint Blakedown Landscapes (SE) Ltd to carry out works to construct the burial meadow, subject to scheme approvals, for a contract sum of £1,194,300.87 ex VAT.

The Cabinet report approved a budget for enabling the creation of the new greenspace and burial meadow which included a cost of £1,544,000.00 for construction costs to carry out the works including inflation, contingency, and additional highway works.

Deputy Chief Executive – Place  decides as follows:

To appoint Blakedown Landscapes (SE) Ltd to carry out works to construct the burial meadow, subject to scheme approvals, for a contract sum of £1,194,300.87.

The decision will achieve the construction of the new burial meadow and greenspace on the land owned by Oxford City Council. 

The works contract comprises the reliable, capable, and efficient sequencing, management, and mainly direct delivery in line with industry best practice, of the works. These include drainage works, earthworks, woodland and meadow planting, utility connection, fencing, paths, and road and footway connections.

The whole of the site will have works done that enable its use as a burial meadow, but accessways works drainage swales and tree planting, will only be carried out in the southern part of the site; with the northern section of the site having works done to lay it out as a wildflower meadow ahead of that area being needed for burial space in an estimated 20-30 years time. This works contract is necessary to construct the new operational burial meadow and public greenspace in the short timescales required to avoid both a gap in burial space availability for Oxford residents, and a gap in income to the burial service.

Taking this decision to construct the new burial space means Oxford residents can continue to have somewhere local to Oxford to be buried, and visit graves of their loved ones, as well as providing burial spaces which is recognising the importance of burial in religious beliefs. Alternative Options Considered

The option to do nothing and not provide new burial space was considered, but was discounted because of:

·       the risks outlined in the report below.

·       The cradle to grave’ function of a Council. A cemetery is an important place of civic pride, and community cohesion, where families and communities gather to remember their loved ones

·       The lack of capacity in neighbouring areas for burials and reliance on such would require people to be buried away from their home city.

·       The likelihood a lack of local burial provision would undermine the City’s status, and growth agenda promoting Oxford as being an attractive place to live and settle, for all the reasons above.  The do nothing option, not making this decision to construct a new cemetery was also discounted because it undermines the City’s status, and growth agenda promoting Oxford as being an attractive place to live and settle. In addition, the cemeteries of

·       The contract could have been let following the discharged was considered, but discounted of planning conditions, however this was discounted as:

·       It will be far more cohesive to arrange for the developer to discharge planning conditions as many documents are required to be developed before they can be applied for, such as the dormice license application; and construction environmental management plan.

·       It will minimise any gap in burial plot provision which is reliant on the normal development process of running works streams in parallel not series. While finalising contract documents, and gearing up, a contractor normally assists with smooth discharge of conditions and final construction details for example. Risks to project delivery would be greater by not progressing to apply for consents as these items are on the critical path and need doing.

·       The contractor can help overcome programme delay from seasonal ecological constraints while appointed;

·       delay in tendering would increase budget pressure from higher prices.