Council scraps plans to build £5m crematorium

A council has scrapped its plans to build a £5m crematorium off the A47 near Earl Shilton and wants to sell the land to a developer instead.

The initial development of the site was approved in January 2019 and was supposed to include a ceremonial hall suitable for multi-faith services, offices for administration staff and memorial gardens.

However, the project stalled in 2021 due to "ongoing national issues with obtaining labour and materials", as well as poor ground conditions, and was not completed.

Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council has now abandoned its plans for the crematorium and confirmed it will be selling the land with a "strict condition" it can only be used for this purpose.

The authority had appointed construction company Kier Group to undertake the £4.6m building project, which was scheduled for completion in early 2022.

The future of the site was considered during a full council meeting on 9 December and the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) has since seen budget plans confirming the project is "no longer proceeding".

A spokesperson for the authority said developers looking to buy the land would need to "demonstrate proven experience in developing crematoria".

According to the LDRS, the chosen developer may be able to use the existing council-approved plans but would have to go through the planning process again, including renewing highways and ecological assessments.

Stuart Bray, the Liberal Democrat leader of the council, said the authority was "committed to delivering a crematorium on that site, albeit in a different way".

He added the council was undergoing a procurement process which remains confidential.

The LDRS contacted Kier Group for comment.

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