A multi-million pound crematorium site in Shirebrook has taken a step closer to becoming reality after Bolsover District Council and Shirebrook Town Council approved it in principle.
An initial feasibility study has been completed which identified potential locations and recommended that the crematorium facility be located on land adjacent to the existing Shirebrook cemetery site.
The proposed crematorium could include a building which provides a Tranquillity Garden; Service Hall; Lobby of Light; Crematory Hall; Administration Block and Vehicle Service Yard; Flower Courtyard; Gardens of Remembrance; a provision for an on-site wake facility; as well as car parking and landscaping.
Council Leader, Councillor Steve Fritchley has said that it will be sympathetically designed to blend into the surroundings and could provide a pleasant, peaceful place for people to visit and reflect.
“We have consulted with local funeral directors who have given us their support for a more local crematorium rather than people having to travel to Chesterfield or Mansfield. It will be a modern, fit-for-purpose crematorium facility that meets the growing needs of our population so they can celebrate the lives of their loved ones.”
The cost of building the crematorium is estimated to be around £9 million and the next stage is to appoint a design team and undertake the necessary site surveys.
Eight new jobs will be created to help with the maintenance and continued day-to-day operation of the site. It will also bring about new employment and training opportunities through the construction phase of the project i.e. apprenticeships, local labour clauses.
Councillor Fritchley added, “With local government grants being reduced all the time, this new facility will not only provide us with an income stream but provide much-needed jobs and training opportunities for our residents. If it receives Council approval, we hope that construction work can start in 2022.”
