Swanwick: Crematorium action group - Crematorium.eu News about crematoria in Europe - www.crematorium.eu informs about crematoria in Europe- Krematorium.eu- crematorio.eu, find a crematorium

Swanwick residents have formed an action group to fight plans to build a new crematorium in the village.

Memoria Ltd unveiled plans for a 3,000sq ft building with a 7.5 metre chimney on a 7.6-acre site between Sleetmoor Lane and the Wimsey Way Thornton’s factory, which would see 1,300 services take place there a year.

Swanwick Parish Council held an emergency meeting and told the Oxfordshire-based crematorium and cemetery developers that their proposed site was designated as Protected Open Land (EN5) in the Local Plan.

Resident Steve Harvey said: “Swanwick is a small village that is under siege by developers.

“There is still an awful lot of Swanwick residents who are unaware of the proposal. I am working with a handful of other residents on a plan to prevent this development going ahead.”

Other residents fear that slow-moving funeral processions on Sleetmoor Lane and Derby Road will hamper the emergency services regularly using those roads.

The village is also currently fighting proposals to see land to the south of Swanwick listed as a potential housing site for 500 homes.

Memoria says it expects to put in a planning application early in 2012. If approved it says the earliest work could start on site is August 2012, with the building taking nine months.

The action group will use the parish council’s web site to keep Swanwick residents up to date at www.swanwickparishcouncil.org.uk.