Sound and smell 'mean Shropshire crematorium plan is in wrong place'

Councillor Ian White, of Great Ness and Little Ness Parish Council, said he was pleased that Shropshire Council’s Central Planning Committee voted to defer the application for land in Nesscliffe, between Oswestry and Shrewsbury at a meeting on Thursday.

The committee felt it needed more information over concerns from the RAF over low flying training it carries out over the proposed site.

And now Councillor White has said the development is in the wrong place.

Pleased

He said: “I was pleased it was deferred but it must be rejected for it is in the wrong place. There is no need for the crematorium in Nesscliffe. There is much more of a need in the south or west of the county.

"Powys only uses Aberystwyth or Leominster or Hereford.  It would make sense to have it located further south.

“In addition, there is real concern from the RAF over its helicopter training it carries out over Nesscliffe and the work it does with the barracks there.

"I stood on top of the hill for one hour last week and there were 80 helicopter movements overhead in that hour.

"Admittedly, this only happens when the training is on-going but when it is happening, which is frequent, it is intense.”

Smell

Councillor White said he felt the development was also too close to a nearby chicken farm.

“If you have the wind blowing the wrong way you are going to get the most horrendous smell,” he said.

“This is at a sensitive time for people who will be using the crematorium to pay respect. It is completely the wrong place.”

During the planning meeting on Thursday, many councillors said they felt it was a sound plan “but in the wrong location.”

In the run up to the meeting, 17 formal objections were made by members of the public.

And the RAF Helicopter Noise Liaison Group said it may consider not using the Nesscliffe Camp in future, should the plans go ahead.

In its objection, the group said: “The development of a crematorium would have irreversible and detrimental effects on the tri-service helicopter training from RAF Shawbury.

“Nesscliffe camp is a major part of Low Fly Area 9. Having to avoid overflights of funerals at the crematorium would possibly result in the use of Nesscliffe Camp by the RAF as unsuitable in the future, concentrating the low level helicopter activity over the rest of LFA 9.”

The council will look at the plans again in the upcoming months.