£6m crematorium approved near Gainsborough

Councillors approved plans for a new £6 million crematorium, chapel and memorial facility near Gainsborough.

The plans by West Lindsey District Council for Lea Crematorium, off the A156 between the villages of Knaith and Lea, were approved at a planning committee last on Wednesday night.

The crematorium will seat up to 120 people with additional standing room available and has been put together with independent planning consultants.

The authority’s Community and Commercial Programme Manager Karen Whitfield told councillors that 75% of funerals were now cremations, with reports people were waiting for up to four weeks.

A site layout plan.

Councillor Jessie Milne said she had been to see a crematorium built by the same company and said she was ‘impressed’ by what she had seen.

She added; “We have to look at what’s best for West Lindsey. We are trying to make some income for this council which we have to do because we don’t have a choice.”

Coun Judy Rainsforth agreed adding: “Death won’t go away, it’s always going to be there and we’re always going to have to discuss it one way or another.”

She said it would be a big benefit for West Lindsey with the potential for funerals from both the local area and further afield.

Parish Councillors David Bolton Anthony Morphet both objected to the plans and queried how the council would make its money back.

They also raised concern about increased traffic on Gainsborough Road and wear from the slow moving corteges – however, planning officers said Lincolnshire County Council had raised no objections and had only asked for a crossing to be included.

The planning officer told them that numbers featured in the report concerning usage of the facility and traffic on the roads were ‘conservative’ estimates.

Councillors agreed to note the potential for a new bus stop to be created – but did not add in a condition to do so.

A report by council officers concluded the proposal would ‘provide a new community facility’ and said the design ‘would be acceptable’.