Building work starts on £9.6m crematorium

An artist's impression of the crematorium, which is being built near Shirebrook Cemetery

Work has started on the construction of a £9.6m crematorium in Derbyshire.

Bolsover District Council said the new complex, near Shirebrook's cemetery in Common Lane, would ease the strain on other busy crematoriums and reduce waiting times for funerals.

A ground-breaking ceremony has taken place for the scheme, which the council said it hoped would be completed by spring 2025.

Council leader councillor Steve Fritchley said: “It’s been a long time in preparation but I am delighted to see work starting on site.

"Shirebrook is a great central location for this type of facility and it will save travelling times and enable family and friends to celebrate the lives of their loved ones without feeling rushed."

The new crematorium will carry out more than 600 cremations a year

Shirebrook Town Council has donated land for the project, and district council-owned Dragonfly Development Ltd is building the crematorium - which will be called Roseland Park.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said it would include a main crematorium building, a wake facility, florist kiosk and takeaway refreshments, car parking, memorial gardens and parkland.

Ben Copeland, of specialist crematorium designers The CDS Group, previously said Chesterfield district crematorium was operating at 136.5% of its practical capacity and Mansfield district crematorium was operating at 97.8%.

Mr Copeland said that the new Shirebrook crematorium would likely result in 614 cremation services a year.

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