Bid to build 5,000-plot cemetery near Shropshire border thrown out

A cemetery with space for more than 5,000 plots was earmarked for Bobbington but the proposal has been refused by planning bosses.

It was hoped the move would create much-needed burial space, easing pressure on nearby areas such as Wolverhampton, Stourbridge and Dudley.

But planners at Four Ashes Estate, which lodged the application, could now be forced to go back to the drawing board in their search after the bid for the land north of Six Ashes Road, near Halfpenny Green Airport, was rejected by South Staffordshire Council.

Bosses said the cemetery bid did not meet the "very special circumstances" needed to build on greenbelt, while there were also concerns it would lead to cars flooding into the village. They said 'insufficient information' had been provided of the impact the burial site would have on the roads.

Documents submitted with the plans said it the development would have provided a 'privately-owned, multi-faith place of natural burial to cater for present and anticipated shortfalls of natural burial grounds within the region' and feature up to 5,200 plots.

A council report outlining the reasons for refusal said: "The site is within the greenbelt where, in accordance with the planning policy of the adopted core strategy, there is a presumption against changes of use unless they maintain openness and do not conflict and do not conflict with the purposes of including land in the greenbelt.

"The local planning authority has considered the reasons advanced but does not consider that these reasons constitute the very special circumstances required to clearly outweigh the harm to the greenbelt by reason of inappropriateness.

"The proposed development is contrary to policies of the core strategy and would introduce a new burial site in a fairly remote location which would be heavily reliant on car use.

"Insufficient information has been provided to determine the impact of the proposed development on the public highway."