Council rejects crematorium plan

DUN Laoghaire Rathdown
County Council has rejected a planning application to locate a large crematorium
in a scenic part of the Southside.

The council said
the proposed development in Kilter anan was located in an area zoned to protect
and improve rural amenity and to provide for the development of agriculture.

Park
Developments initially planned to build the crematorium and a graveyard on a
10-acre site off the Ballycorus Road.

The firm
intended to spend

?¬3.5m constructing a two-storey building that would include a
chapel with seating for 150 people and two cremators. The scheme would also include
a graveyard with almost 1,700 sites and three metre high crematorium walls to
store ashes, as well as 75 car parking spaces.

However, Coleman
Murray, vice chairperson of the Kilternan Residents’ Association, said the
grounds for refusal were too narrow.

“The council
failed to take into consideration all our previous submissions,

? he claimed.

“It should deal comprehensively with all submissions that have been lodged
because right now they have only refused per- mission on two grounds.

“Issues
such as traffic management and drainage need to be addressed. We will fight this
tooth and nail because we expect the developers will appeal their decision.

?

Aileen
Eglington, the chairperson of the Kilternan Residents’ Association, also
welcomed the council’s decision

“We are
delighted about the rejection,

? she said.

“The decision was based on correct
views of residents. Overall, at least 70 per cent of submissions were against
the development.

?

She added:

“Shanganagh Graveyard has room for expansion and it already has potential for a
crematorium. It is located away from houses and it has public transport
nearby.

?

Cllr Lettie
McCarthy (Lab) said there were too many issues raised by the application.

“The residents
complained all along that the crematorium would infringe on agriculture,

? she
said.

“Even if the developers provide us with an updated version of the
development plan, I won’t be supporting it.

?

A spokesperson
for Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council said developers had until this week
to appeal the planning application to An Bord Pleanála.

A spokesperson
for Park Developments expressed dis- appointment that the planning

application had
been rejected and confirmed that the company intended to appeal the decision to
An Bord Pleanála.

“There are only
four crematoria in Ireland,

? he said.

“This development would pro- vide locals
with an important burial service, and it would also save locals having to
travel outside Dun Laoghaire to visit a crematorium,

? he said.