Crematorium plan thrown out due to local impact

Plans for a large crematorium facility next to a village have been thrown out because of concerns it would disrupt local residents and destroy green space.

West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) wanted to build the Wantage Park facility next to a new secondary school near Moulton and a new housing development.

The council plans proposed an on-site wake facility and chapel, to help address the growing demand for cremation services across the local authority area.

But the idea was thrown out by its own planning committee, which saw 300 letters of objection raising concerns about noise from the school disrupting funerals, worse traffic congestion and the removal of an important local green space.

Plans were unveiled for the site in September in response to what the council described as an urgent need for cremation facilities.

But speaking at a committee meeting on 12 May, Rich Dawson, a local resident of 25 years, told councillors the crematorium was in the wrong location and would detract from the open space.

He said: "That green wedge is used by many, many people. We used to be able to walk from our house to green fields in whichever direction we went – that's all gone."

Reform UK councillor, Peter York, who represents the Moulton ward and attended the meeting to raise objections from his residents, added: "I've been a resident of Moulton for 32 years and I cannot fathom why there should be a crematorium dropped in the middle of the village."

Among the concerns expressed on behalf of residents were fears of people "feeling trapped in our homes" while the crematorium was in use, due to the high intensity of vehicles arriving and exiting the site at the same time.

The crematorium's core hours of operation were anticipated to be on weekdays between 09.30 to 16:30, with planners stating four cremations would take place each day on average.

Adam Muspratt, a planning agent on behalf of WNC, told the meeting the "physical and visual separation between Moulton and Northampton will be maintained".

However, the planning committee said the development would contravene planning policy which stated designated green wedges, which helped maintain the separation between the countryside and built-up areas, should be protected to prevent coalescence.

The committee voted against the crematorium plans, with five voting for it to be refused, three voting against and two abstentions.

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