Developer submits plans for revived cemetery

The scheme is set to be considered by planning officers at South Staffordshire Council

A new nine hectare burial ground as part of a revived cemetery scheme has been proposed.

Permission for a cemetery on the site in Perton, Staffordshire, was granted in 2001, followed by approval for access via Jenny Walkers Lane in 2003, but apart from some landscaping, there is no clear evidence the development started.

The latest proposals for the site, which is near Wolverhampton, are now set to be considered by planning officers at South Staffordshire Council, with a decision expected later this year.

The proposal represented "an acceptable and appropriate form of development within the green belt", a planning and design statement said.

The new application is substantially the same as previous granted applications, including a 30-space car park in a similar place.

A memorial garden is also planned at the centre of the cemetery.

The development would "provide a significant benefit to wildlife", an initial biodiversity study said.

The site is within the green belt, which means any development is inappropriate and should only be granted in very special circumstances.

In this case, the applicant noted national planning policy included cemeteries and burial grounds as an exception, provided the openness of the green belt was preserved.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.