Work starts on site of crematorium
Project begins at old hospital
Work has started on a crematorium at the former Bannockburn Hospital site.
Controversial plans for the £6m facility off Falkirk Road, which attracted a 274-signature petition in oppostition, were approved at the start of the year.
The diggers have moved in within the last fortnight, with initial work appearing to focus on creating access routes into the site.
When Stirling Council’s planning panel granted permission for the development in January Stephen Butler of Crematoria Management Ltd told the hearing work would start in six months, with the building taking nine months to construct.
It will include a chapel with seating for up to 98 people and the potential to accommodate another 100 people standing.
The site will also feature a garden of remembrance and 116 parking spaces.
The company say there will be an average of four and a maximum of six funeral services per day, 1100 a year, most of which would be expected between 10.30am and 3.30am.
The proposed operating hours would include 9.30am to 1pm on Saturdays with no Sunday working.
Councillors on the planning panel voted by six votes to two to approve the application, subject to a cap on the number of funerals allowed.
Objectors had believed that access proposals for the site and alterations to the A9 Falkirk Road were not adequate to deal with the volume of cortege traffic.
Residents’ spokesman John Fowler told the planning panel that funeral traffic would create “an obvious bottleneck not remotely comparable to previous or current road conditions.”
Council planning officials stressed that services would take place outwith the morning and evening rush hours.
Mr Butler said there would be “no smoke or odours” from the chimney, the operation would be closely controlled by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the company used the most upto-date technology.