Hampshire residents hope crematorium plans go up in smoke

That’s the message from residents opposed to a scheme to build a woodland-based crematorium in the Hampshire countryside.

John Parker and his neighbours living along Gardeners Lane at East Wellow near Romsey claim the approach roads to the proposed crematorium off nearby Ridge Lane are dangerous and not suitable for the proposed funeral facility put forward by the Westleigh Group.

“It would be an absolutely horrendous for residents living in the area. They should be looking at a different site to this to build it. It is totally unsuitable for the traffic it will generate and residents’ point of view,” said 80-year-old Mr Parker.

“There is growing opposition to the crematorium plans from people living in Gardeners Lane which is already used as a rat run between the A27 and the A3090. Our major concern is the potential increase in traffic along the lane. The proposed site is totally in the wrong place. The junction of Gardeners Lane and A3090 is already dangerous and these plans will make it worse. We are very worried", said Mr Parker, pictured below.

Mr Parker who worked in the light engineering industry before he retired around 1990 explained that he’d been campaigning for a speed limit along Gardeners Lane for many years but without success. He also added that there have already been two fatalities on the road and he fears that with more traffic there could be more casualties.

“I was travelling along Gardeners Lane on Saturday when a white van clipped my wing mirror and broke it.

“This is the second time in the last five years that this has happened to me. People travel at high speed along the road,” said Mr Parker.

Bosses at Westleigh claim there is a need for a crematorium in the Romsey area to help cut waiting times for funerals at Southampton which is one of the busiest in Britain carrying out around 2,500 annually.

They say the proposed Ridge site – a former gravel pit – is the ideal location for a crematorium and it would not only serve Romsey but also surrounding areas of southern and central Test Valley along with northern and eastern parts of the New Forest.

And Richard Evans, managing director of Westerleigh Group believes the project which includes a 77-space car park is vital for Romsey and surrounding areas.

He said: “People living here do not have a crematorium of their own. They are forced to travel to use Basingstoke or Southampton, one of the busiest crematoria in the UK.

“As a result they often face long delays to get a slot for a funeral. When they finally get there, they face a conveyor belt experience, which is not the best way to say goodbye to loved ones”.

Westerleigh staged a public exhibition on its plans in Romsey during August and the company – which has built 13 crematoriums around the UK and operates a further 20 across Britain – is now waiting for Test Valley Borough Council to date the scheme. It’s not known at the moment when this will be be.