New Muslim cemetery plans recommended for refusal

The Green Meadows burial site project will also include an attenuation pond to limit flooding, wildflowers, pathways and a refuse and soil storage area, plans showed

Plans for an 8,500-space burial site for Muslims and other faiths on farmland have been recommended for refusal due to excessive size, location and potential to erode nearby villages' identities.

The Green Meadows charity proposed the use of a site in Sutton, west of Peterborough, which will include a prayer hall, landscaped grounds, and facilities for ablution and reflection.

Supporters, including local imams and the National Burial Council, said it would solve the problem of a critical shortage of burial space which meets specific religious requirements.

Sutton, Ailsworth, and Castor parish councils have objected, citing scale, traffic impact, loss of farmland and religious exclusivity.

Tokeer Tufail, from the Green Meadows charity, previously said the aim was to create a "calm and reflective space" for people of all faiths and none, and added there was a "desperate need" for more burial provision for Muslims.

The scheme would be built in three phases, beginning with about 1,600 burial spaces at the site, to the south of the Old Peterborough Road.

Peterborough City Council's bereavement services said there were two working cemeteries operated by the authority - Eastfield Road, which caters for Muslim burials, and Fletton, but it added there was seven to 10 years left until they were full, based on the current burial rate.

'Meets growing needs'

The application to the city council received more than 600 public responses, with 407 in support and 193 objections.

"The proposal addresses a critical and growing need due to the limited capacity at existing burial sites," said the National Burial Council, which represents Muslim bereavement services.

A joint statement from 21 local imams said: "This [site] would allow the fulfilment of religious obligations and follow customs and traditions when it comes to burial.

"[It] helps to preserve cultural identity and strengthens sense of community."

Conservative councillor for Ravensthorpe, Raja Sabeel Ahmed, said: "This is not only a matter of faith but also of dignity and inclusivity, reflecting the city's commitment to serving its diverse population."

Objections sent in on the planning portal criticised the plans for being "religiously exclusive", with some suggesting a multi-faith or council-run facility would better serve the wider community.

Sutton Parish Council warned the plans would negatively affect the Sutton Conservation Area.

Ailsworth Parish Council also opposed the scheme, describing it as "disproportionate to local needs and incongruent with the area's rural character".

Castor Parish Council said the development would have "significant impacts on the village".

Peterborough First councillor Gavin Elsey, who represents nearby Wittering, said the plans failed to take into account the 8,000-plot burial site already approved at Great Haddon.

"It serves nobody in the immediate area - it is nowhere near any Muslim community," he said.

Council planning officers have recommended the application be refused by the Planning and Environmental Protection Committee when it meets on Tuesday, 21 October.