The Chingford Mount Cemetery plan provoked 18 objections from residents who were concerned about ‘toxic emissions’ and ‘unpleasant smells’ emanating from the crematorium, reports Sebastian Mann, Local Democracy Reporter
A CGI mockup of the crematorium, Credit: Waltham Forest Council/Evolve Norse
Plans for a new electric crematorium in Waltham Forest have been approved.
The new facility, situated in Chingford Mount Cemetery, was green-lit by Waltham Forest Council last night (14th January) after years of planning.
The £10.9million crematorium will comprise a 569sqm building including a waiting area, family viewing area, chapel, crematorium space and office. Its electric design will help reduce the borough’s carbon footprint, the town hall says.
Over the past two years, the budget for the project has ballooned from £8.3m as both the scope of the designs and construction costs have increased.
Benefits of the scheme include easing funeral logistics, accommodating residents of diverse beliefs, reducing traffic and boosting the town hall’s income, according to a previous council report.
At the current rate of burials, the cemetery is projected to run out of space in about eight years.
Planning committee member Jenny Gray said last night the nearest service, in Waltham Abbey, was a “long way away” and “residents need this facility”. It currently takes Waltham Forest residents between 30 and 55 minutes to travel to a crematorium.
But despite the reported benefits, 18 objections to the project were formally lodged with the council.
Conservative councillor Catherine Saumarez said there was “a lot of consternation and anxiety” surrounding the project.
She said the five neighbouring streets were all concerned over “toxic emissions further deteriorating their air quality” and “causing unpleasant smells”.
A fellow resident and representative of the Chingford Residents Association said the setting was “not appropriate”.
She said it was not suitable for people “to burn their dead within sight of their homes, their parks, and of their schools”.
A planning officer said that trees in the cemetery would help to screen the facility from public view.
Though residents were concerned, committee chair Andrew Dixon said the increase in parking and traffic would be “negligible”.
There are currently nine crematoria in north London. The newest facility, the Netherhouse Farm Crematorium in Waltham Abbey, was approved by Epping Forest District Council in October 2023.
The number of cremations in England has increased substantially since the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020/21.
Cut-price direct cremations have gone from representing 3% of all funerals in 2019 to one in five funerals in 2023. The rising cost of funerals has played a key part, according to the Local Government Association.
As the plans were put forward by the council, they needed to be determined by a committee of councillors. The proposals had also generated an “extensive amount” of public interest, the committee said.
Construction of the new crematorium is slated to begin this year. It is expected to be up and running by 2026.
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