A place to bring pets that have passed on

12:47pm Thursday 14th September 2006

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ANIMAL lovers in Malvern will soon be able to give their pets a proper send-off after controversial plans for a crematorium were given the go-ahead.

Councillors at Worcestershire County Council discussed an application to convert a hay store at Halfkey Farm into a small incinerator as part of a pet crematorium.

The planning committee meeting on Tuesday heard the application had been submitted by Kate Preston, who works in a vet practice and had noticed a demand for the service.

Principal planning officer Mark Bishop said: "It's not about mass incineration of pets from vet practices or agricultural animals, it's to provide a bespoke service for individual cremations of loved pets."

Chris Hughes, a resident of nearby Rose Cottage, said he did not feel the crematorium was needed as there were similar services in Cheltenham, Dunhampton and Stourbridge.

He said: "Access via Halfkey Lane and the track is poor. On average four vans as well as private cars use the track and lane every day, and on some days seven-and-a-half ton lorries."

Mr Hughes also said he was concerned by the smells that might be produced by the crematorium.

But Robert Jolly, speaking on behalf of Mrs Preston, told members of the committee the crematorium would collect animals from people's homes or the vet, incinerate the carcasses and then return the ashes to the owners. Members of the public would not visit it.

He said: "I would have been amazed had this application not proked some reaction among residents. The very word crematorium conjures up foreboding, worry and thoughts of death, and they are things which people want to put to the back of their minds."

"The only worries expressed by the consultation are two footpaths. As to the residents' worries, I honestly think that these are overstated and exaggerated."

He said there would initially be only two vehicles coming in and out per week which might grow to one a day, adding: "This is a small scale, niche, specialised, low-impact proposal."

Planning permission was granted unanimously by the committee.