Pet crematorium gets go ahead from county planners

Elgan Hearn – Local democracy reporter

Plans for a pet crematorium have been approved by county planners  just a few months after previous proposals were thrown out by Welsh Government planning inspectors.

Russell Lloyd of Trade Price Blinds lodged a fresh planning application with Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council in September to change the use of Unit G, Crown Business Park Road in Dukestown, Tredegar from an existing storage building to a B2 “sui generis” class.

Impact

A year ago, a Blaenau Gwent planning officer refused the application because of a lack of information shown in the scheme to “demonstrate” that the development would not have a detrimental impact upon the “health, amenity, or natural environment of the surrounding area as a result of unacceptable airborne emissions,

Welsh Government planning inspectors at PEDW (Planning and Environment Decision Wales) had agreed with this assessment and rejected Mr Lloyd’s appeal last June.

A children’s nursery is located 75 metres away and residential homes are within 225 metres of the site which are considered to be of “high sensitivity” to air quality.

Powers

The application was brought up in part of the Blaenau Gwent County Borough Counci’s Planning committee meeting on Thursday, November 14 when councillors go through and note the list of applications that had been approved by planning officers using delegated powers during the last month.

Cllr Wayne Hodgins brought up the application for discussion.

Cllr Wayne Hodgins asked: “Originally this animal crematorium was refused, what has changed.”

Planning committee chairwoman, Cllr Lisa Winnett explained that information about the chimney “stack heights and emissions” had been missing from the first application but included with the fresh plans.

Cllr Winnett said: “The information that was required first time around has been supplied.”

The application was accompanied by an air quality assessment by specialists. Greenavon.

Decision

Greenavon had said that the main source of air pollution for the area comes from vehicles travelling on the nearby roads.

Planning officer Joanne White said: “It did go to appeal after we refused it, and the inspector agreed with us that we did need to see an air quality impact assessment.”

Due to receiving the extra information with the new application Ms White said that it was: “considered to be acceptable.”

Cllr Hodgins thanks them for the explanation.

Councillors noted the delegated decision list, and the meeting came to a finish.