Duntrune crematorium bid returns to Angus planning appeal committee for second time

Farmer Guthrie Batchelor's Duntrune crematorium application was sent back to councillors following a Court of Session ruling.

By Graham Brown

June 4 2024, 11:47am

Farmer Guthrie Batchelor's Duntrune crematorium plan will be back before planning appeal councillors on Friday. Image: Kim Cessford/DC Thomson

An Angus crematorium at the centre of a local campaigner’s Court of Session victory will go back before planning appeal councillors this week.

But it remains to be seen whether the area’s development review body will make a final decision on the controversial £3 million scheme.

It is the latest stage in farmer Guthrie Batchelor’s fight for permission to build the facility at Duntrune, on the edge of Dundee.

He first lodged an application for the farmland site in 2020.

The crematorium overlooking Dundee would have a capacity of around 125 mourners.

But locals said the location was completely unsuitable.

And in 2021 Angus planning officials agreed when they blocked the proposal.

A lack of public transport and active travel options were cited as key reasons for turning it down.

Mr Batchelor appealed the refusal, saying the Duntrune site is the “perfect” location for Angus’ second crematorium.

Councillors on the area’s development management review committee (DMRC) subsequently reversed the refusal.

But the matter took a further twist when local resident Paul Dixon challenged the council’s decision as unlawful at the Court of Session.

The authority did not defend the action and Scotland’s highest civil court ordered the appeal to be reconsidered.

It also ruled a new DMRC should be set up solely for the Duntrune case.

What happens now?

The five-strong committee meets on Friday.

However, the first step will be to agree whether the DMRC has enough material to make a ruling on the appeal.

And a site visit to Duntrune is one of the key issues councillors will consider.

So it may be that a final decision will not be made until that takes place.

A further rural crematorium bid by another Angus farmer is also heading to appeal.

Last month, planners refused Neil McEwan’s application for a site near Carmyllie Hall on the B961 Monikie to Friockheim road.

It was rejected due to “extremely limited” public transport serving the area.

Mr McEwan said he will appeal the decision.