Craven District Council is due to begin work to replace the roof of the Remembrance Chapel at Skipton Crematorium later this month. 

Work inside and outside of the Book of Remembrance Chapel is due to start at the end of October as part of the Zero Carbon Craven scheme – a £1.2m project to cut the carbon emissions of Council buildings that has been 50% funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

The new roof will feature integrated solar panels and insulation and roof slates which are still in good condition will be re-used where possible. 

The project is set to last for four weeks, beginning on Sunday October 31 and a number of measures will be put in place to minimise the inconvenience and make sure visitors and bereaved families visiting Skipton Crematorium and Waltonwrays Cemetery are aware before they visit.

The Crematorium including the Book of Remembrance Chapel will initially be closed from October 31 to November 2 while scaffolding is erected inside the building.

People will still be able to view the Book of Remembrance during normal opening times throughout the project. If they arrive while work is ongoing they may have to wait briefly while the site is made safe. The book can also be viewed online at any time by visiting www.remembrance-books.com/skipton/book-of-remembrance.html

There will be a small reduction in the number of cremation services between November 3 and November 8 to allow external scaffolding to be installed in place safely during the mornings.

Construction of the new roof will then commence, lasting a further three weeks, depending on the weather.

There is no work taking place at the Crematorium Chapel so cremation services will be unaffected once the scaffolding is in place and workers will down tools during funeral services.

Access to the cemetery grounds will remain open throughout the project, although members of the public are asked to be aware of the construction work.

Cllr Carl Lis said: “Unfortunately the Remembrance Chapel roof needs replacing so it makes sense to do the work to reduce our carbon emissions at the same time.

“Our investment in the Crematorium will allow us to do this vital maintenance at the same time as playing a part in our Zero Carbon Craven project, cutting our carbon footprint.

“We’re sorry that there will be some inconvenience to a small number of people but we have planned this work carefully to reduce this as much as possible.”

Bereavement Services Manager, Clair Cooper, said: “We have tried as much as possible to organise and manage the work to minimise the disruption to our services.

“In appointing the contractors it was made clear from the outset that access to the Remembrance Chapel needs to be maintained throughout the project as we fully recognise how important it is to families to visit the book on their loved one’s anniversary.

“This also allows us to make sure that the public toilets are available to visitors to the crematorium and cemetery.

“Work will also stop when funeral services are taking place as a mark of respect.

“We are giving as much notice as we can and are liaising with funeral directors so they can also advise bereaved families about the work so they are prepared for the disruption however, we do apologise if any inconvenience occurs during this work.”

Similar restrictions are expected at the end of November when the scaffolding is removed.