NORTH Somerset's crematorium could become one of the only places in the South West to offer Sikh funerals. Councillors have asked officers to look into providing special facilities at the site in Ebdon Road, Worle, as part of long-term work to improve the
NORTH Somerset's crematorium could become one of the only places in the South West to offer Sikh funerals.Councillors have asked officers to look into providing special facilities at the site in Ebdon Road, Worle, as part of long-term work to improve the site.Councillor Bob Coleman said: "Having spoken to members of Sikh communities it seems there are two key elements to a Sikh funeral."Sikhs cremate their dead on a funeral pyre and have all the family around watching."If we are planning to replace the cremators anyway it would be simple enough to put a glass panel along one side so families could watch if they so wished. "It would also be possible to put wood around the coffin and therefore offer a service closer to the traditional Sikh funeral."We would be one of the only crematoriums in the South West to offer this service and end up getting better use out of the site."Equipment at the crematorium was damaged in an explosion last June and, although it was repaired and is working, the council is looking at future plans for the site.Options include selling the site off to another business or organisation to run, setting up a partnership with a private company to run it or keeping it as a council-run facility.A report on the options will go before the council's Executive later in the year.
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