A farmer with land encircling the proposed £6.5 crematorium at Mepal has instructed solicitors to raise issues of noise, dust and boundaries.

P J Lee & Sons Ltd of Ely owns land to the north, west and south of the former outdoor sports centre which has been demolished to pave the way for the crematorium.

But their solicitor has told East Cambridgeshire District Council that despite being the owner of neighbouring land, they had not even been consulted about the crematorium.

“Nor can we see that it has been included on any of the published lists of neighbours to be notified,” says P J Lee.

“We consider that is odd and would be grateful if you would confirm why our clients have not been provided with formal notice of the application.”

P J Lee says they have three main concerns.

Firstly, they say people are trespassing over their land to access the lake inside the outdoor centre ground to fish (illegally) in the lake.

P J Lee says it has a right of access along Blockmoor Drove which separates their land from the site but trespassers often park there, causing problems for their agricultural machinery to pass.

“On occasions it has created difficulties and delays in manoeuvring such machinery and vehicles passed parked cars,” says P J Lee. “Sometimes the access has been blocked completely.”

P J Lee says that they have not seen proposals for securing the western boundary to prevent or deter trespassers and illegal fishing.

The farming family says that their land is busy all year round.

“The vehicles and machinery using these routes and access points are large and particularly noisy,” says P J Lee.

In summer months and when harvesting is under way “a lot of dust is created”.

Their solicitor says the boundary issue is not yet resolved and they would like to know of measures to “to address or reduce the impact of either the noise or the dust on the site”.

The crematorium, being built by East Cambridgeshire District Council, will have a memorial garden, natural burial areas, pet cemetery, car parking, and new access.

Fenland Council has raised questions about the need for it.

It will be less than 10 miles from March, where a crematorium opened 11 years ago.

Gavin Taylor, senior development management officer at Fenland Council, says “it is best practice for the council to be able to establish the need for the development”.

On the East Cambridgeshire District Council planning portal this is the application: 21/01216/F3M | Construction of a crematorium and associated service and administration building, function building, memorial garden, natural burial areas, pet cemetery, car parking, new vehicular access from the A142 north of the site and landscaping | Mepal Outdoor Centre Chatteris Road Mepal Ely Cambridgeshire CB6 2AZ