More consultation needed on Melrose crematorium plans

Published 16 Nov 2009 14:52 0 Comments

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SCOTTISH Borders Council should have consulted more with local residents in Melrose and Newstead before progressing plans for the region's first crematorium, according to SNP MSP Christine Grahame.

Ms Grahame who is currently receiving hundreds of consultation responses from residents claims local people were evenly split on the whether the proposal should go ahead at Waird's Cemetery near Melrose following an extensive consultation she has undertaken of local views.

She sent out 1270 consultation surveys to residents in Melrose and Newstead at the start of November.

Ms Grahame said: "I am still receiving responses but it is clear more could have and should have been done by Scottish Borders Council to explain the proposals for a new crematorium to local people.

"At the moment it looks like views on the crematorium have split local opinion evenly down the middle, with many residents asking why the Council themselves did not ask for local opinion by means of their own consultation survey.

"The Council this week approved the proposals which will now go before Scottish Ministers for a final decision. I will be passing the full results of my own consultation to the Council and Ministers for their consideration once it is complete so they can see for themselves the range of opinion locally on this significant development."

As previously reported, the Planning and Building Standards Committee of Scottish Borders Council (SBC) approved plans to develop the first Borders crematorium adjacent to the Wairds Cemetery in Melrose.

Members of the committee voted eight votes to two to agree the proposals, submitted by Westerlee, for a crematorium and parking spaces.

A total of 220 representations had been received in respect of the application, including petitions for and against the development.

SBC planners had recommended approval of the proposals with a number of conditions, including improvement of visibility at relevant road junctions. Members acknowledged that the unique nature of this application, including the wider benefits that would arise, outweighed what limited impacts might have resulted from the development.

They agreed that the landscape and visual impacts of the proposed development were, in any event, very limited and that the sensitive approach to design and landscaping taken by the developers were significant in reaching this conclusion. The Borders is currently the largest geographical area in the UK not to be served by a crematorium.

Commenting after the committee decision, the Leader of SBC, David Parker, said: "I am delighted that the Planning and Building Standards Committee has endorsed the proposals to build the region's first crematorium. We have waited 30 years for the development of this much-needed facility and I am very pleased that the plans have been given the go-ahead and I know the majority of Borderers will entirely agree with today's decision.

"I would like to thank all those members of the public who took the time to formally submit their views concerning the crematorium proposal. Many Borderers made it known that they supported or objected to this development and elected members were very pleased that so many people took the time to register their views. As a Borderer, I cannot think of a better site to end life's journey than in the shadow of the majestic Eildons."

Executive Member for Planning and Environment, Councillor Carolyn Riddell-Carre, who chaired the meeting, said: "I do think this is a good site for the Borders' first crematorium. It is a low-lying site so the visual impact will be minimal.

"I read with interest all the submissions from members of the public - in particular the submissions from three local Ministers. They raised important issues around the safety of the road junction, the risk of any permanent memorials spoiling the character of the area and the possible noise disturbance from speakers used to relay a service to overspill congregation outside.

"Transport Scotland is satisfied that the road junction would be adequate, when proposed improvements have been made. There was a second concern about permanent memorials. These will not be permitted.

"The third worry concerned the use of loudspeakers during large funerals at the crematorium. The use of external speakers will be monitored for 12 months after the crematorium opens. Any subsequent use of such speakers will require formal consent of the planning authority."

Councillor Len Wyse, Executive Member for Environmental Services, said: "This decision represents the end of a very long search and a great deal of hard work to secure a crematorium for the Borders. I believe that this development will be a huge asset to the whole region and at last we can bring an end to lengthy journeys out of the Borders when families are saying farewell and paying their respects to their loved ones. Many Borderers have had to go through the trauma of travelling to other parts of Scotland or England to access the crematorium facility, and that trauma will soon come to an end.

"I am also pleased that, being next to the cemetery, use of the crematorium service hall can be used for non-religious burial services or religions not catered for locally, followed by interment in the Wairds. The Council will work closely with the crematorium operators to ensure there are no burial and cremation services taking place at the same time, which may put undue pressure on the local infrastructure."

The committee's decision will now have to be referred to Scottish Ministers as a result of Scottish Natural Heritage's objection to the application.

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