Burntwood cemetery set to get mausoleum

Chase & District Memorial Park has successfully appealed against a decision to refuse a proposal for the monument at the site, which opened three years ago.

The plan drew strong opposition from Erasmus Academy School, which sits next to the proposed building, which would have indoor tombs.

The development was branded inappropriate and unacceptable by headteacher Mrs Bernice Astling, who said mourners would be disturbed by the noise levels from pupils.

Lichfield District Council planning committee voted to scrap the bid in May stating it would lead to unfair complaints against the school.

Councillors also declared it would be inappropriate development in the green belt and questioned that enough parking at the site would be provided.

But planning inspector Sarah Stevens has now overturned the decision.

Councillor Helen Fisher, chairman at the time of the planning committee, did not wish to comment.

She said: "The proposal would not alter the use of the open part of the appeal site as a burial ground.

"The mausoleum would be contained within the building and any noise or disturbance from the school within the building would be extremely limited.

"Furthermore, the distance to the boundary of the site and the elevated position of the school would, in my view, make any noise or disturbance from the playing fields appear as background noise."

The inspector also pointed out that the development was to extend the existing building rather than build a new one, adding: " Given the scale of the approved building and the modest size and scale of the extensions and alterations I do not consider the alterations to be disproportionate in size."

Ms Stevens also rebuffed the concerns about parking on the site declaring highways authority Staffordshire County Council had not raised an objection.

She said: "The submissions from interested parties would appear to relate to the existing issues of parking associated with the burial ground and proposal would provide a few additional on-site parking spaces.

"Whilst there may be some ad hoc private visits to the site the majority of visits for burials or to the mausoleum would be pre-arranged and booked and consequently it would be unlikely for the demand for parking to increase from that which already exists."

Bosses at Springhill Cemetery, which run the site, recently changed the name from Walsall Burial Park earlier this year following complaints from people who used it.

The eight-acre site, off the A5195 serves Walsall, Cannock and Lichfield, includes more than 1,000 plots for cremated remains and around 5,000 burial plots. It had been in planning since 2010 and has a shelf life of 20 years.