Angus Council’s decision to block a bid for a new crematorium on farmland near Arbroath will be challenged at appeal.
Planning officers knocked back the Greystone application because it did not have good public transport, pedestrian or cycle links.
And they said the idea of using the greenfield site near Carmyllie Hall breached the National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) policy.
But the farmer leading the project says he will be asking for the application to be re-considered by councillors.
Neil McEwan and his project partners believe the rural site beside the Monikie to Friockheim road is an ideal spot.
They claim the Carmyllie crematorium could help combat fuel poverty in the Angus and Dundee areas, where cremation costs are amongst Scotland’s highest.
The crematorium would accommodate around 120 mourners and sit at the roadside 130 metres north of Carmyllie Hall.
Mr McEwan said the council ruling is being considered in detail by his project team.
But he confirmed an appeal will be lodged with Angus development management review committee (DMRC).
It is a sub-group of planning councillors which re-considers refusal decisions made by officials under delegated powers.
The farmer said he would reserve any further comment at this stage.
Mix of local views
However, locals who have aired their views on The Courier website are divided on the proposal.
One said: “Who goes to a funeral of any type, burial or cremation, on a bus? No one. This is nonsense.”
Another wrote: “We are left with people travelling by car, longer distances, to attend a funeral as there is not a crematorium near them.
“That won’t solve the climate crisis, will it? The Green argument is for investment in public transport, so the answer would be to ensure there is public transport to and from these locations.
“Instead, all we are seeing is CUTS to public transport and bus routes cancelled.
“If we are to see a change in our behaviour and reduced car use, then the investment in transport has to come first.”
But another commented: “Right call from the planning officers.”
“With no public transport, everyone attending would be forced to use private cars or taxis.
“We are facing an existential threat from climate change – that is indisputable (other than by a very few conspiracy theorists). Our patterns of behaviour must adapt to lessen the impact.
“Those that can’t see this or aren’t prepared to make minor sacrifices for the greater good are living in denial.”
Second controversial Angus crematorium application
The Greystone proposal is one of two new crematorium plans which have tested the planning authority.
Another, for Duntrune, is also coming back before the DMRC soon.
It follows a successful Court of Session challenge by a local campaigner.
The council did not contest the resident’s appeal against a u-turn by the authority to approve the development.
And a lack of public transport was also a key refusal reason in that case.
But one councillor at the time of the 2023 hearing said the active travel had to be considered against “common sense”.
Montrose member Bill Duff said: “In rural Angus our public transport links are extremely poor.
“Nobody wants to get to a funeral service (on a bus) 55 minutes before it starts and wait 55 minutes after it ends.
“I would find it hard to find any location in Angus that would pass the active travel test.”
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