Plans for a new crematorium near Daviot are still on the table despite fears services could be disrupted by loud banging noises from the trailer firm next door.
Businessman Fraser Milne’s plans for the giant facility went before the Garioch area committee earlier today.
Mr Milne, owner of Inverurie Garden Centre, wants to press ahead with the development despite backlash from nearby residents.
If approved, the building would feature a central chapel with seats for 144 mourners, with a large window looking out towards Bennachie.
It would have an electric cremator powered by 200 solar panels, as well as a garden of remembrance and reflective pool.
A total of 84 letters of objection against the site were sent to Aberdeenshire Council, despite developers arguing it is needed to tackle “conveyor belt” demand in the region.
Our report reveals:
- One neighbour’s “distress” at the thought of smoke from the crematorium blowing over his homes
- Why developers chose Daviot – and where else they considered
- How the owner of Stewart Trailers fears the worst about the plans
Why did developers choose Daviot spot for crematorium?
Lesley Tierney of McWilliam Lippe Architects said there was a “desperate need” for a new crematorium in Aberdeenshire during today’s meeting.
She revealed that alternative sites had been considered in Ellon, Oldmeldrum, Insch, Inverurie, Kemnay, Westhill and Kintore.
Only Ellon and Inverurie would have been suitable in terms of size and location, but other matters ruled them out.
It was later pushed to Daviot due to the more remote location as fewer neighbouring residents and businesses would be affected.
How loud will noise from nearby sites be?
The application went before the Formartine area committee in December but councillors at that point sided against it.
While they believed the building’s design was “perfectly sound”, they were worried it was in the wrong place.
They also thought grieving families could complain about noise from the neighbouring Stewart Trailers.
These concerns were raised again by their Garioch counterparts today, but sound assessments carried out prior to the meeting helped to quell some fears.
Head planner Jim Martin explained that noise from the manufacturing site was found to be “relatively low level”.
He also told the committee that noise from the B9001 and even birdsong nearby was found to be louder.
Mr Martin went on to suggest that new tree planting and other landscaping measures would help to keep sound from interrupting services.
Trailers boss enters the debate
But the owner of Stewart Trailers is worried that complaints from the nearby crematorium would put his livelihood at risk.
Jim Stewart attended the meeting to fight for the future of his business.
“We do our best to be quiet but the nature of working with metal, you do occasionally get some noisy activities,” he said.
“Although it’s not constant, there could be nothing worse if you are in the remembrance garden or crematorium hearing a loud banging noise during a service.
“That would be most disturbing, I would imagine.”
Business worried about road safety
Mr Stewart also argued the new facility would bring additional traffic woes to the area.
“We have heavy vehicles going in and out of the site all day and the entrance to the crematorium is not that far away,” he explained.
“When there is a service about to start there is going to be a queue of traffic and we don’t want to cause an inconvenience.
“We were told 30 years ago that the traffic we would be generating would be a nuisance and we’ve been aware of that ever since.
“Now we are going to add an awful lot more cars to that road next to us… I think the traffic is a bigger problem than we are imagining.”
Crematorium plans causing neighbours ‘distress’
Nearby resident George Ramsey also raised his own fears over road safety.
“The amount of traffic generated, which is potentially 500 journeys to and from, would have a major impact on residents and other users,” he said.
But this wasn’t his only concern.
Mr Ramsey expressed worries about potential air pollution from the crematorium.
“We’ve lived in this house for 34 years and view this as our forever home, one to pass on to future generations,” he stated.
“I can’t explain the distress caused by the thought of cremations happening so close and the potential for residue blowing over our family home.”
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‘Manufacturing plant doesn’t sit well with garden of remembrance’
Councillor Marion Ewenson raised fears about the flow of traffic on the busy B9001.
The Inverurie member was also concerned about the potential impact on the industrial firm next door.
“I don’t think these two operations would work very well side by side,” she said.
“It’s a manufacturing plant…there will be noise, which is not something that sits well with people visiting a garden of remembrance.
“There is a need for a crematorium but this is not the right location.”
Proposal needed due to demand
However, councillor Ron McKail supported the facility.
“The elderly population is increasing and there is a demand for this kind of facility,” he said.
“It’s maybe not the right place, but then where is? If we come up with another alternative we will no doubt be faced with the same arguments.”
Councillors voted 10 to five in support of the proposal.
That means it has one committee for it and one against, with the final decision now to be determined at a later meeting in the near future.
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