Planning inspector has to decide whether a new crematorium should be build near Newtown

On Tuesday a planning hearing took place which heard arguments for and against plans by Powys Crematorium Limited to build an all-new crematorium at a site north of the B4568 road on land formally known as Ael Y Bryn between Caersws and Aberhafesp.

The application, which was lodged Powys County Councillor for Abermule, Councillor Gareth Pugh’s firm, had been approved by the council’s Planning Committee in May 2021.

But it was “called in” to be decided by a government minister last August.

The hearing was conducted by director of Wales planning inspectorate, Tony Thickett who said there were three key issues: was there a need for a crematorium in Powys, is it in the right location and the issues of highway safety.

Two Powys County councillors, former cabinet member Councillor Heulwen Hulme and planning committee chairman Councillor Karl Lewis – both spoke in favour of the of the development.

Councillor Hulme pointed out that Powys residents were waiting a month to be able to cremate a loved one as well as having to endure an 80-to-100-mile round journey to crematoria in Shrewsbury or Aberystwyth.

Rachel Harrison, manager of the Aberyswyth crematorium said several issues were causing the backlog including the time to process deaths and the format of funerals becoming more complex.

She explained that there was a five-day limit to register a death, but this had been known to rise to 13 days because registrars had been unable to provide a family with an appointment.

Ms Harrison added that it could also take three weeks for doctors to process paperwork in a sudden death or one due to an accident, as post-mortems for the region are conducted in Shrewsbury,

Ms Harrison said: “That transport back and forth, to a different country is unacceptable – mortuary facilities are more needed in Mid Wales than another crematorium.”

Sioned Davies for the applicant, told the hearing that planning inspectors had found that the experiences of families is that that the quality of the experience had been compromised “80 per cent” of the time.

“It gives rise to feelings of a conveyor belt and that you can’t be accommodated at peak times.”

Planning agent for the applicant Alan Southerby believed that this proved a “significant need” for the crematorium.

Objector David Evans told the hearing that the need in the area was for land for “cemetery” rather than a crematorium.

At the end of the hearing, Mr Thickett said that he would visit the site to see the lie of the land for himself and that he had seven weeks to write his report and provide his recommendation to the Welsh Government minister.

A decision on the application from a Welsh Government minister, is expected this autumn.