CONCERNS over the green belt have delayed a proposal for a burial site at Poole Crematorium.

In a bid to help solve the town’s shortage of burial space Borough of Poole officers came up with suggestions including using grassland at the Gravel Hill crematorium.

Planning permission was sought for a change of use to bury approximately 500 bodies on an area of formal mown grass, adjacent to an area used for ash interments. However councillors raised concerns about the use of green belt for this purpose and deferred the matter for more information.

Cllr Philip Eades, chairman of the planning committee, said: “The committee asked officers to bring the application back before them, as they felt further information was required to support the recommendations that the use was acceptable on land within the green belt.

“Furthermore members of the planning committee were not convinced that the case had been made for ‘very special circumstances’ to overturn green belt planning restrictions.”

In the officer’s report that went before members it was concluded that this was an acceptable use.

“The current proposal would meet the need to provide for burials over the next six to 10 years for which there is a lack of suitable alternative sites,” it said.

“Whilst it is sited within the green belt, the use is closely associated to the existing use of the site and is not likely to result in any significant harm to the openness of the green belt, nor prejudice the purposes for which the green belt was designated.”

There is an estimated 10 months supply of burial plots left in existing cemeteries within Poole. An average of 50 people a year are buried in the town and there are 2,400 cremations. More spaces are also being created at the town’s cemeteries, Poole, Parkstone and Branksome by removing some access roads, parking areas and paths.