A PLAN for a crematorium which will see up to 10,000 bodies a year bought in from across England and Wales has been given the go-ahead, despite objections from councillors and neighbours.

Pure Cremation will be allowed to build a new crematorium, access roads and a car park at the former Charlton Nursery, in Hatherden Road, after years of fighting to increase the size of its already approved facility.

Work has started on the company’s existing plans to meet local need, but it will now be able to increase the size of cremation as well as the number of burners from one to four.

At a meeting of Test Valley Borough Council’s (TVBC) planning control committee on Tuesday, members heard that bodies will be brought in in fours from across the two countries and “direct funerals” will take place, where families are not present, then ashes will be returned.

The application was brought to the committee after the authority’s northern area planning committee refused the proposal in April but the council feared it would lose a battle with the Planning Inspectorate if Pure Cremation appealed the decision.

Co-founder and managing director Bryan Powell said some families want to “separate death from the celebration of life”.

“This would be our first crematorium. This would be a unique facility in that there would be a larger proportion of direct funerals over the traditional local cremations.”

Local councillor Ian Carr raised fears that the facility was introducing an “industrial element into the countryside”.

“This development is not just aimed at meeting all local need but a much wider market.”

“This industrial use increases the size of the operation 10 fold from 1,1000 to 11,000 cremations per year.”

Cllr Carr added that there would be increased emissions from the larger crematorium and this was backed by Councillor Phil Bundy.

Cllr Bundy said: “By increasing the number of burners you automatically increase the number of emissions.

“I think there is a good risk of this becoming much greater than anticipated.”

But members were told by TVBC head of planning Paul Jackson that the authority would struggle to argue this reason for refusal with a planning inspector if it had turned down the application.

Councillor Daniel Busk said: “There is a certain number of people in England and Wales who want to be cremated, and [in terms of] pollution it doesn’t matter where they are cremated whether these fumes are over the area of Andover or Birmingham.”

Councillor Sandra Hawke added that the application was a ‘head over heart’ situation, with a balance between the views of residents and the planning officer’s report.

Councillor Celia Dowden said: “It is something that is part of our community as much as anything else and providing the right facility is important.”

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Powell said: “At Charlton Park Crematorium, we will first and foremost serve local families, reducing distressing travel time for those planning a cremation for a loved one.

“We will also serve Pure Cremation’s direct cremation customers; opening up the choice of a dignified, fuss-free cremation to a greater number of families, and supporting them to make the most of this new freedom to say goodbye their way.”

The crematorium is expected to open in spring 2019.