A £1.7 MILLION refurbishment of York Crematorium, the biggest in its history, will start later this month.

The work on the City of York Council-run building in Bishopthorpe Road will be carried out over six months, with two new cremators being installed at a cost of £1.2 million to allow the crematorium to meet Government guidelines on mercury emissions.

Warm gases will be recycled and used in other buildings at the site to reduce its carbon footprint and cut annual gas costs by about ten per cent.

The authority said the scheme would be the first major refurbishment at the crematorium since it opened in 1962. The work, starting on Monday, will allow 20 more people to use the small chapel, which will have its own entrance and exit. Other improvements include new carpets, lighting, seats and decoration, and a webcast facility so relatives who live away from York can see services in their homes.

It is understood that, on rare occasions, the council has been faced with having to turn down cremation requests because the deceased was too large for the incinerators.

The crematorium’s manager Gary Fewkes said: “A large cremator is being installed so we’re able to offer a service which can facilitate customers of all sizes.”