I READ with interest your story of the Fenland District Council planning officer s report to committee next week on the Chatteris crematorium proposal. I am pleased to see a recommendation for refusal. The second crematorium proposal is unnecessary and

I READ with interest your story of the Fenland District Council planning officer's report to committee next week on the Chatteris crematorium proposal.

I am pleased to see a recommendation for refusal.

The second crematorium proposal is unnecessary and it would be both bad and dangerous planning to approve it.

I would say that wouldn't I.

I have an interest, namely the development of the Fenland Crematorium at March.

There are serious issues not all of which are covered in the planning officer's recommendations.

There can be no need for another crematorium to serve Fenland district, even Chatteris is only 10 minutes from the March project which is under construction.

If as the applicant says the Chatteris scheme will serve Huntingdon, then let a crematorium be built at Huntingdon, not in a bit of Fenland where it will be contrary to many treasured planning policies to protect the Fenland landscape, flood zone and even future employment zones.

The planning report states that it is up to the applicant to decide if it is appropriate and viable to build a second crematorium.

That may be so if the development is in accordance with policy but not if, as in Chatteris, it is in a location with so much against it. If this laissez faire attitude is adopted a precedent is set for any type of use that cannot go into an urban location to be approved.

Maybe it will be an abattoir or a rubbish tip next.

Furthermore there must be a risk that two crematoria so close together will not be financially viable and thus this consent if granted would stifle future use and enjoyment of this land.

To approve this would be playing politics, not following proper analysis of need or good planning principles. It should be refused on grounds of insufficient need to overturn established and valuable planning policies.

NICK OWEN

Mercia Crematoria

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