Yapton crematorium plans approved after appeal

A fear of traffic accidents prompted Arun District Council, in October last year, to refuse the application at 10 Acre Field, north of Grevatts Lane, Yapton.

Describing the refusal as ‘entirely irrational and unreasonable’, the planning agent claimed the council ‘failed to make the correct assessment’ of the application.

The appeal statement claimed the committee ‘took no account’ of the ‘significant benefits’.

The appeal decision, issued last week, ruled that the appeal should be allowed and granted planning permission for a single chapel crematorium, with car parking, landscape works, surface water drainage features and associated highway improvements.

An inspector, appointed by the Secretary of State, noted that ‘all parties agreed’ that there was ‘an error in the council’s decision notice’.

A report by the district council last year raised five safety points, the first of which was the likelihood of accidents as vehicles tried to turn off the main road into Grevatts Lane West where the crematorium was to be built.

With concerns also being raised that no ‘slowing down lane’ had been included in the plans, allowing vehicles to make the turn without affecting the traffic, they voted to refuse the application.

The appeal decision notice read: “I have found that the proposal would not be detrimental to highway safety and is a sustainable form of development, accordingly the proposal should succeed.”

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