Plans for Wantage Park crematorium re-submitted

New plans for a large crematorium next to a village have been submitted again five months after they were thrown out by planners.

West Northamptonshire Council want to build the Wantage Park facility next to a new secondary school near Moulton and a new housing development.

Similar plans were dismissed by its own planning committee in May because of concerns it would disrupt local residents and destroy green space.

Reform UK councillor Andrew Last, cabinet member for regulatory services, said the revised application included "reductions in the scale and visual impact of the development, enhanced landscaping and improvements designed to better integrate the proposal with its surroundings".

The previous application saw 300 letters of objection, raising concerns about noise from the school disrupting funerals, worsening traffic congestion and the removal of an important local green space.

In May, the planning committee said the development would contravene planning policy which stated designated green wedges - which helped maintain the separation between the countryside and built-up areas - should be protected to prevent coalescence.

Last added: "Whilst development in a Green Wedge is not prohibited, proposals must be sympathetic to the surrounding environment and continue to support community access and use, which the revised application seeks to ensure.

Following that decision, the Council chose not to appeal and instead undertook a comprehensive review of the scheme."

A target decision date for the application has been set for January 2027.

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