A DECISION won’t be taken this month over the controversial plans for a crematorium in Poundstock as Cornwall Council’s strategic planning committee withdraw the item to delay discussions following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

The plans for Atlantic View Crematorium were due to go before the planning committee tomorrow (September 15), however, as this would have fallen during the national mourning period and taking into account the “specific nature of the proposed development” it was decided to withdraw the item.

The planning application has been submitted by The Atlantic View Crematorium Consortium. The proposal, for a crematorium and memorial garden on land west of the A39 at Poundstock, had attracted a number of strong objections from locals who did not believe this to be the best location for the facility.

The application will instead be discussed at a meeting next month.

In the notes section of the agenda, the committee state: “It has been decided to defer planning application PA21/01480 from the forthcoming agenda of the Strategic Planning Committee to be held on the 15th September 2022 due to the sensitivities surrounding the specific nature of the proposed development and the sad passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.  The application will instead proceed to be targeted towards the next meeting of the Strategic Planning Committee on the 13th October 2022.”

Council planning officers had previously recommended that the application be approved saying that it would “meet a need” in the area and would ease demand on crematoriums in Bodmin and Barnstaple.

Fighting back, members of the Stop The Crematorium group, have said the council has come up with a “hybrid excuse” to withdraw the item from the agenda of Thursday’s meeting.

In a statement on the Stop The Crematorium website, they say: “A rumour was circulating during the afternoon of 13 September that Cornwall Council were considering pulling the crematorium application from the Strategic Planning Committee Agenda on 15 September. The indication was that as it was viewed as contentious then the Committee would not be able to deal with two applications in one day. However, Cornwall Council knew it was contentious when they listed it and put it on the agenda along with a second application. Indeed, confirmation was given on 31 August that it would be heard on 15 September.

“Their position then appeared to change somewhat as the afternoon went on and they were rumoured to be considering pulling it from being heard due to the Queen’s sad passing. However, that reason would of course mean pulling both applications due to be heard that day. So overnight of the 12 September and this morning (13 September) they have come up with a hybrid excuse to now pull just the crematorium application from the meeting on Thursday.

“Residents and Parish Councillors are extremely disappointed and concerned as to how this application is being managed by Cornwall Council. It is obviously hoped that the ‘targeted’ date of 13 October for the hearing does indeed proceed.”

The strategic planning committee is still set to meet tomorrow to discuss an application for a geothermal power plant on land at Penhallow.