Wantage Park Crematorium

Description

West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) is the burial authority for West Northamptonshire under 214 Local Government Act 1972 and for the purposes of the Cremation Acts of 1902 and 1952. Following assessment of the best ways of meeting the needs of Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire, respectively, the Council has concluded that it would best be secured through the delivery of a new crematorium. Therefore WNC are proposing a new additional state-of-the-art crematorium and wake facility at the preferred site of Wantage Park, Round Spinney, Northampton NN3 7TR. The proposed crematorium will include ceremonial spaces and a welcoming café for visitors with the aim of providing a vital facility for the West Northamptonshire community. With this new facility, we would aim to meet the growing needs of our population while providing a peaceful and respectful environment for bereavement services. Wantage Park would include an energy-efficient electric cremator, heat recovery systems, solar panels, and green roofs. These features contribute to significantly lower CO2 emissions. The development’s landscaping would also support local biodiversity, enhancing the natural beauty of the area and providing a peaceful setting for visitors. Wantage Park would also offer the community additional benefits, with the surrounding land transformed into recreational spaces with walking paths and green areas, promoting outdoor activities and well-being. Careful planning will ensure the facility would have minimal visual, traffic, and noise impacts on the surrounding area. Infrastructure improvements, such as a new independent access road and enhanced public footpaths, would further support the local community. The design includes accessible parking, adaptable lighting for neurodiverse individuals, and functional spaces that can be used by all faiths and no faith individuals and community groups. The Mayflower Wake Facility, part of the development, would provide a welcoming space for post-ceremony gatherings, including wakes, receptions, and other events. The facility will need to be open for public use by August 2027. Total gross internal area: 1270.00 m² The contract will be awarded to one contractor as a two-stage D&B (Design and Build). The successful contractor will be selected and awarded for the pre-construction phase (PCSA) (stage 1) within the ‘Invitation to Tender (ITT)’ procurement stage. WNC would like to at this stage prior to commencing the formal procurement, to seek expressions of interest (EOI) from the market to understand what the appetite is for undertaking this type of Works and establish if Potential Suppliers have previous Crematorium contract experience. The procurement procedure route is undetermined at this stage however it is anticipated that the Competitive Flexible procedure will be followed under the PA23, to include two stages; PSQ (Procurement Specific Questionnaire) Conditions of Participation stage and ITT (Invitation to Tender) stage. It is anticipated that the Authority intends to invite only those Potential Suppliers to the ITT stage that can evidence previous Crematorium contract experience as part of their Technical and Ability response of the PSQ and Conditions of participation stage and have passed the Pass/Fail elements of the PSQ and passed the Financial checks. The tender is subject to planning consent, and it is intended that the initial phase will be the publication of the Procurement Specific Questionnaire and Conditions of Participation stage. The Tender stage (ITT) will be published subject to planning consent and budget limitation. Draft procurement timetable (this is a brief guide and may be subject to change): • Market Engagement EOI Deadline: 17/10/2025 (this is not a mandatory requirement). • Planning Decision: Expected 18 November 2025 • PSQ/Conditions of Participation Phase: Mid October – Mid November 2025 • PSQ/Conditions of Participation Evaluation – Mid November – Beginning December 2025 • ITT including Site Visits (Invitation to Tender) Phase (subject to approved Planning Permission): November – December 2025 • ITT Evaluation/Moderation/Assessment Summaries – December 2025 – January 2026 • Publication of Contract Award – January 2026 – February 2026 Notice and start of Standstill period – January 2026 – February 2026 • Mobilisation: February 2026 • Agreement Commencement: February – March 2026 Please submit your EOI to claire.baker@westnorthants.gov.uk by 17/10/2025 and identify if you have previous experience of Crematorium Construction contracts. The Authority does not require any detailed information at this stage. Participation in this EOI will not impact your ability to engage with the future tender opportunity and is not a mandatory requirement for the Market Engagement stage. Participation in the EOI does not guarantee that a procurement will follow, nor does it determine the final scope or structure of any potential procurement. By EOI at this stage is not an automatic invite to tender. All Potential Suppliers will be required to complete the PSQ (Procurement Specific Questionnaire) on the WNC Tenders portal, In-Tend and pass the conditions of participation.