Objectors fail in battle to block controversial new crematorium

PLANS for a new crematorium have overcome the last hurdle after the Secretary of State decided against calling them in.

The facility at Long Lane in Heaton, Bradford, will replace the existing Nab Wood Crematorium.

Plans for the new multi-million pound crematorium were approved by Bradford Council’s regulatory and appeals committee last year.

But for the crematorium to gain full planning permission it would have to go before the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Robert Jenrick.

This was because the crematorium would be built on a green belt site. He could have decided to “call in” the plans, meaning it would be the Government and not Bradford Council that would have the final say.

But in has now emerged that the Secretary of State has contacted the council to inform it that he will not be calling in the decision.

The local authority says it does not yet have a date for when work at the site will start.

The council had said the new crematorium, which will include more environmentally friendly cremators, was needed to replace Nab Wood, which was operating beyond it working life.

Nab Wood’s facilities also did not comply to modern, stricter emission standards for cremators. The council said the existing site could not accommodate much larger, modern cremators and abatement equipment.

After the committee approved the plans, objectors contacted Bradford West MP Naz Shah to raise their concerns.

Ms Shah wrote to Mr Jenrick saying it “would dramatically disturb the area” and would go against the council’s climate change ambitions.

However, Mr Jenrick has not opted to call the application in – meaning Bradford Council’s decision to approve the crematorium still stands.