Crematorium gets £5m upgrade and goes green

A gas-guzzling crematorium is to get a £5m upgrade and start using renewable energy.

Gloucester City Council hopes to exclusively use green gas – agricultural biomethane – at Coney Hill Crematorium this financial year, along with 100% renewably sourced electricity across its estate.

The £5m renovation will include infrastructure maintenance and replacing the cremators with more energy efficient ones.

"Chances to invest in crematorium facilities don't come along very often, typically only once in a generation, so it's something we're genuinely pleased to be able to do," said councillor Declan Wilson.

In its five-year financial plan, the council said it would spend £3.8m in 2026-27 and £1.2m in 2027-28 from its capital budget on the structure of the crematorium.

Councillor Sebastian Field said he was "delighted" the crematorium would be going green.

He said the council was making "real, measurable progress towards our decarbonisation goals".

Wilson said the investment would allow the council to "make the facilities as welcoming and supportive as they can be for families at what is often one of the hardest times in their lives".

Gloucester City Council receives its energy supply through West Mercia Energy under a joint arrangement with Tewkesbury Borough Council.

A proposed new agreement from 1 April this year represents an estimated spend of £2.23m over three years.

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