Council’s former development directors’ pride as ‘£12.7m’ Derbyshire crematorium is completed

The new Roseland Park and Crematorium, in Shirebrook, was the result of a partnership between Bolsover District Council, its former development company Dragonfly, and Shirebrook Town Council to address the growing demand for funeral services and to ease the strain on other crematoriums in the region operating at a high capacity.

Bolsover District Cllr Steve Fritchley was strongly linked to the project before he stepped down as a Dragonfly director and as council leader ahead of the council’s decision to dissolve Dragonfly Development Ltd in July, 2025, and take the operation back in-house after long-running debates over concerns about governance and conflicts of interest despite profits.

Cllr Fritchley said: “It is an absolute credit to Dragonfly and all those who worked on the project. I think it’s a fantastic place. It’s an example of the great work that Dragonfly has done and it’s a shame the development company was not allowed to continue with similar projects in the future.

“This is proof of the pudding that we did not fail as directors. We did a cracking job. It will mean shorter journey times for bereaved families and friends to say their goodbyes in a beautiful setting.”

Work originally began on the scheme in September, 2023, with hopes it will provide a much-needed facility to prevent residents having to travel to busy Mansfield or Chesterfield crematoriums for funeral services or to have to face long waits before being able to pay their respects to loved ones.

But in July 2025 the district council was forced to borrow an additional £3.5m to cover costs when the development stalled when the architect’s work was deemed by the council to be below standard.

Architect CDS’s Stage 5 pack and their performance was judged by the district council to be below standard after a review, so the council instructed contractor Dragonfly developers to temporarily stop work in April, 2024, and the council terminated the CDS contract and it estimated the re-evaluated cost for the scheme at £12.7m.

Benchmark Architects and Whiteley Eaves were newly-appointed to the contract and work was remobilised in late 2024, while Benchmark worked with the design team to produce and issue revised drawing packs for Dragonfly before a quantity surveyor worked with subcontractors to establish new costs.

An increase in ‘build costs’ was identified due to increased labour, material costs, delays, increases in the market, increases in contractor preliminary costs due to time extension, the need to buy additional land, legal fees, review fees, a newly appointed design team, inflation and the need to comply with building regulations.

The council stated that an external loan would be obtained from the Public Works Loans Board with interest rates.

Legal advisers also recommended the council enter into a joint venture to be registered at Companies House as a Limited Liability Partnership called Shirebrook Crematorium LLP with the district council and scheme partners Shirebrook Town Council, who owned the development site, so they could operate with working capital to cover running costs before any income is established through the scheme.

Councillors voted by a majority to approve the additional borrowing of £3.5m to fund the building works and also approved an advance of £204,600 from the council’s Transformation Reserve to Shirebrook Crematorium LLP as a loan to cover expenditure liabilities before and during the first six months of the crematorium’s operation.

Roseland Park and Crematorium, off Common Lane, next to Shirebrook Cemetery, which was originally due to be completed in spring 2025, features a crematorium building, a wake facility, florist kiosk and takeaway refreshments, car parking, and both formal memorial gardens and informal parkland to provide a beautiful landscape and biodiversity for the site.

The building work was carried out by the district council’s former company, Dragonfly Development Ltd, in partnership with Shirebrook Town Council.

Regional funeral directors also gave their support for the project after a consultation and the district council feels the crematorium will provide a much needed facility so people do not have to travel to Mansfield or Chesterfield to pay their respects.

The CDS Group stated in September, 2022, that Chesterfield district crematorium was operating at ‘136.5 per cent’ of its practical capacity and Mansfield district crematorium was operating at ‘97.8 per cent’.

Research by The CDS Group had also identified that 33,221 people in the area in 2022 were living more than a 30-minute drive from a crematorium facility which further highlighted the need for a further crematorium.

Bolsover District Cllr John Ritchie previously stated that providing the district with a brand-new, environmentally friendly crematorium has been a hugely important project because the council understands the difficulties people in the area have had to face when organising funerals and having to travel long distances.

Cllr Fritchley said: “While we had a pause with building we kept working with the landscaping and the site was laid out and everything was in place and it’s a tremendous testament to the skill, professionalism and ambition of everyone involved in Dragonfly.”

The former Council Leader told how the concept for the scheme had originated as long ago as the early 1990s when Shirebrook Town Council was considering different ways to improve the town.

District Cllr and former Dragonfly director Deborah Watson said: “I think the crematorium is a fantastic asset for the community and it’s testament to the great work of Dragonfly staff and directors.

“I am proud to have been a Dragonfly director on such a successful company.”

Bolsover District Council was also approached for any further comment on the completion of the crematorium scheme.