Ryedale's first crematorium allowed after planning inspector upholds appeal

North Yorkshire councillors rejected Westerleigh Group’s plan for the facility along with memorial gardens and parking beside the A64, at Sand Hutton, north of York, in October 2023, after hearing it could impact on studies undertaken at York Biotech Campus, including at the National Bee Unit. The meeting also heard funeral corteges would “considerably impede traffic on the A64” .

However allowing the appeal, Inspector Matthew Woodward said emissions from the crematorium would be "generally much smaller" than from traffic on the A64.

He'd not been presented with any scientific evidence to indicate that the level of pollutant, even around the chimney stack, "would have a biologically detectable effect on bees so as to affect the validity of any research undertaken at the campus".

Mr Woodward said it would be the closest facility for over 40,000 people in the Ryedale area and prevent family and friends having to travel long distances to other crematoriums in York, Scarborough and the East Riding.

Future demand "is forecast to significantly exceed 80 per cent at all three sites by 2033", he said.

He said a cortege could safely negotiate the junction, with the help of a right turn filter lane, and the limited number of accidents nearby didn't suggest there was a road safety issue.

He added: "Anecdotal evidence of traffic congestion during bank holidays and summer holiday periods has been referred to by interested parties. However, no cremations would take place on bank/public holidays or on weekends and the volume of traffic associated with visits to the memorial gardens would be limited".