Issue - meetings

Note:              Councillor D. Cotton retired from the room at 18:48.

The Chairman introduced application 136962 for a single cremator and chapel crematorium building with memorial facility, to include car parking facilities and related hard-landscaped areas as well as formal and informal landscaped gardens. The Development Management Team Leader advised Committee there were no other updates to the report and so the Chairman invited the first speaker, Karen Whitfield – Communities and Commercial Programme Manager, to address Committee.

The Communities and Commercial Programme Manager explained she was speaking in support of the application and highlighted that there was not currently a crematorium facility in West Lindsey. She explained to Committee that residents of West Lindsey had to travel significant distances, at what was already a very difficult time, and often had to wait several weeks for a cremation slot. She highlighted that space for burial grounds was decreasing both within the District and nationally; the amount of housing growth planned for the District and the ageing population with the District; and that currently 75% of funerals resulted in cremation. She explained that the Council had been mindful to ensure the development of the project and the planning aspects had been kept separate and independent, to this end, independent planning consultants had been employed to ensure a robust process was followed. She stated that the site for the proposed development had undergone a comprehensive site selection process to incorporate the requirements presented in the Crematoria Act 1902. Out of all sites considered, this location was deemed to be the optimum site identified. The Communities and Commercial Programme Manager gave further details as to the details of the development, such as the design to be in keeping with the area and for landscaping and additional planting to provide tranquillity and areas for quiet reflection.

The Communities and Commercial Programme Manager explained that there had been significant feedback to support the proposed development, not least from local funeral directors, celebrants and clergy who had welcomed the proposals and highlighted the need for such a site locally. It was explained that there was the additional provision to accommodate bariatric coffins which would negate the current requirement to travel to Peterborough. It was acknowledged that there were concerns amongst local residents, mainly in relation to traffic issues and risk of pollution. It was explained that a full traffic impact assessment had been carried out and considered by the local Highways Authority and the result of the assessment was that the development was not anticipated to cause a significant impact on the local highway or its operation. Additionally, it was highlighted that the entrance to the crematorium from the highway had been designed in such a way to allow vehicles to facilitate quick and safe turning. In view of local concerns about pollution, it was explained to Committee that as a new facility the proposed crematorium development would be fitted with mercury abatement and would comply with all current regulations, furthermore, the Environment Agency had raised no  ...  view the full minutes text for item 24