Plans for new crematorium between Fareham and Gosport set to be approved - with chapel and memorial gardens

Fareham Borough Council’s planning committee will determine a planning application submitted by Mercia Crematorium Developments Limited on July 12.

If approved, the new facility would be built on land north of Brune Lane – it is set to overtake the existing Portchester Crematorium due to increasing population, death and cremation rates.

SEE ALSO: Plan for flats above restaurant unveiled as the American fast food giant takes a step closer to opening in Commercial Road

Council documents state: ‘The application proposes a new, single chapel, crematorium with access, parking and memorial gardens.

‘The capacity of the crematorium chapel will be 90 seats, but internal folding doors could increase this capacity to 130 if the entrance vestibule is utilised. The Crematorium is designed to have a flow through the building.

‘Visitors would enter the building at the main entrance, through the chapel, and leave to the south through the exit porte cochere through the flower garden.

‘As well as the sedum roof the building is proposed to be finished with a simple material palette including cedar cladding, stone and steel. Projecting out from the building will be living walls.’

The application has received 92 comments from members of the public, with many objecting to the development’s potential impact on traffic, the environment and the choice of location.

SEE ALSO: Gosport MP implores local charities to attend fair aimed at supporting organisations

Commenting, Sharon Cawsey of Elmore Road said: ‘Brune Lane and Shoot Lane traffic is very busy already before the crematorium is even considered. Having the crematorium there will cause more problems with the traffic volume and inevitably accidents will happen.’

Benjamin Saxton of Elson Road added: ‘The road that runs adjacent has large amounts of traffic occurring every day, adding this will only make it worse, much worse.

‘When the wind reaches high speeds and gusts, common for that area, trees fall and block the road. Now imagine that for future customers of this crematorium. The idea of a crematorium isn’t a bad one, however, the chosen location is.

‘If you also take into consideration the people living in the nearby street of Shoot Lane, how will they feel about the increase of traffic? Roads coming to and from Bridgemary will become gridlocked, as well as roads coming out of Lee on Solent towards Fareham.’