Shropshire crematorium appeal rejected by planning inspector

The Westerleigh Group had proposed building the crematorium on land north of Nesscliffe, but Shropshire Council's planning committee rejected the plan last year due to a number of concerns.

These included those of the RAF who were concerned that low-flying helicopters from the nearby Nesscliffe Camp would lead to complaints from mourners.

Westerleigh Group appealed the decision and now planning inspector Thomas Hatfield has rejected the appeal, meaning the plans will not go ahead.

Mr Hatfield said that he had agreed with the RAF concerns that the plan would have an adverse impact on the defence site.

He said that a demonstration arranged as part of the appeal hearing showed how much impact low-flying helicopters could have.

He said: "On the second day of the hearing, a demonstration was arranged for a training helicopter to fly near to and directly over the appeal site at 30 and 150 metres above ground level.

"During each of these flyovers, the helicopter was clearly audible above road traffic noise from the A5, and it had a loud pulsating character. This was most pronounced when the helicopter directly overflew part of the site and in these cases the noise generated was dominant and intrusive.

Distracting

"However, even on the flyovers that took place on either side of the appeal site, the character and level of the noise was highly distracting.

"Moreover, given the speed at which the helicopters were travelling, this noise emerged relatively quickly and intensely. Coupled with the visual impact of a helicopter travelling at low level and high speed, this had a startling effect that would be highly disconcerting if unexpected.

"This effect would be even more pronounced for a larger Chinook helicopter, which are also used for training purposes in this area."

Mr Hatfield said mourners would potentially be left annoyed and distressed by the overflying helicopters.

He added: "Whilst it would be possible to insulate the crematorium building to prevent any significant disruption to services, mourners would be likely to gather outside both before and after a funeral to converse and offer condolences.

"At these times, a low-flying helicopter in the vicinity of the appeal site would be highly distracting and likely to result in annoyance and distress to those grieving the loss of a friend or relative. In addition to the crematorium building, a large memorial garden is also proposed.

"This would be a place of contemplation and reflection, where personal memorials such as benches, trees, or miniature gravestones could be placed. Visitors to this area could reasonably expect a degree of peace and tranquillity, rather than being subjected to this level of disturbance."