Campaigners fighting plans for another Angus crematorium are pinning their hopes on a final decision for the farmland bid within weeks.
The Duntrune critics had hoped the saga would be decided before the end of 2022.
But Angus planning councillors who will make the final call were unable to find time to squeeze in a site visit.
It means the controversial plan will be a priority item on the agenda of the authority’s development management review committee (DMRC) in the coming weeks.
The proposal
Angus farmer Guthrie Batchelor wants to use land at Burnside of Duntrune for the crematorium, memorial garden and car parking.
Plans first emerged around two years’ ago.
The well-known Friockheim family own the site and have farmed in Angus for eight generations.
Mr Batchelor hopes it will help the business diversify.
And he says it will bring another much-needed facility to Angus, which currently has only one crematorium near Arbroath.
But the proposal sparked a massive local backlash.
There were more than 700 objections submitted.
A fighting fund reached its initial target of £2,000 within days. Locals have since raised considerably more to challenge the application.
The rival parties have also mounted a banner campaign on the road near Murroes where the crematorium would be built.
The lack of good public transport links was a key reason behind the refusal.
But locals say it is simply the wrong development in the wrong place.
And a year ago, Angus planning officials backed the opponents.
They refused the application under delegated powers.
The authority said the proposal broke council, regional and national planning policy.
Objectors’ delight was short-lived after Mr Batchelor appealed the decision.
Decision lies with review committee
The plan now rests in the hands of the five-strong DMRC.
They were presented with a 3,500-page report in August.
But campaigners identified “serious discrepancies” in the council report and a decision was delayed.
It was then due to come before the DMRC in early December.
However, council officials said a planned site visit by committee members had been postponed.
Lead campaigner Ian Robertson has now been told the authority is working hard to firm up arrangements for the visit to take place during the first couple of weeks in January.
The council said: “Officers fully acknowledge and sympathise with the impact of a further delay to consideration of the planning appeal for this application.”
Mr Robertson said yet another delay was a disappointment.
“I’m glad to hear the latest issue was just one of technical staff availability and that Angus Council are working to bring this matter to a conclusion within the first two weeks of 2023.
“We hoped this sorry saga would not drag into 2023, but hopefully it can be brought to a conclusion soon.”
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