Burnley Crematorium car park to be extended

The public car park at Burnley Crematorium is to be expanded.

The extension at the Accrington Road site will  provide a net gain of 22 spaces for the vehicles of family members and other mourners.

The proposal by Burnley Council was approved by the authority’s development control committee on Thursday night.

A planning officer’s report said: “The application seeks permission to extend the existing carpark to provide an additional 26 parking spaces.

“The proposal would require some earth working to create a relatively level surface and retaining wall on the south side of the new parking area.

“The car park access road would be constructed of stone mastic asphalt whilst the parking bays would be paving grids with grass fill over a permeable sub-base.

“The access points to the new parking spaces would require the loss of four existing parking spaces, and as such, there would be a net increase of 22 parking spaces.

“Trees would be planted between the existing parking and proposed parking area, whilst the new slopes created to the north and east would be seeded.

“The application site is located adjacent to two locally listed assets: the Burnley Cemetery Gravestones and Necropolis, and Cemetery Lodge.

“The car park would be at a lower level than both the Lodge and Cemetery.

“The proposed parking would be seen in the context of the existing crematorium and its car park, and so would have a negligible change on the character of the area and the setting of the locally listed cemetery and lodge.

“The negligible harm would be outweighed by the public benefit of ensuring the crematorium has sufficient capacity to accommodate mourners attending a service or visiting the memorial grounds.

“The design of the car park extension includes greenery and so avoids creating a large area of barren hand standing.

“County Highways has reviewed the proposal and has raised no objection on highway safety grounds.”

Trinity ward Green Cllr Martyn Hurt said he was sad to see the loss of the grassed area used for silent reflection by mourners.