Wednesday, December 1, 2010

More on burial plots

I've received this from the Environment Agency in answer to a FOI request:


We are a statutory consultee for any planning applications of this nature to extend burial sites but we have not been approached recently for our views on any at St Neots.
We responded to a planning application for expansion in 2007 when we recommended that the ground could become suitable if certain conditions were applied to any permission.
It would be up to the council to apply any conditions (which primarily relate to positioning of burial sites away from water) if they wished to grant permission.
The reason for us asking for conditions to be applied is that there is a potentially high groundwater table which would be vulnerable to pollution.
In 2007 we agreed with a proposal that further investigations to ascertain the local groundwater level would be a good idea. That is for the council to investigate.
We said at the time that following the recommended site investigation and associated assessment, the site may be suitable for the proposed burial use. If drainage solutions were required, the Environment Agency would be happy to discuss them with the local planning authority
.

St Neots residents were informed that:
The Environment Agency says differently. It says the ground could be used for burials if certain conditions were met. So St Neots residents were lied too by the Town Council as to the reason for the new cemetery.

The Town Council hasn't gotten back in touch with the Environment Agency over this ground to see if the land was suitable.

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