A farmer’s four-year battle to build a new crematorium on the edge of Dundee is set to roll on beyond the summer.
It comes after Angus planning review councillors said they couldn’t make a decision on the Duntrune bid without seeing the site for themselves.
And the delay will give more time to wade through 4,000 pages of documents relating to Friockheim farmer Guthrie Batchelor’s plan.
Court of Session outcome
On Friday, a new Angus development management review committee sat to run a fresh eye over the application.
It was formed after the Court of Session ordered Angus Council to reconsider Mr Batchelor’s appeal for the sloping farmland site overlooking Dundee.
He first lodged plans for the £3m crematorium in 2020.
It would have a capacity for 125 mourners and sit east of historic Duntrune House.
Angus planning officials blocked the bid under delegated powers.
They said the proposal breached council, TayPlan and Scottish planning policies.
It would have resulted in an “unsustainable pattern of travel and development”.
And its location would put a reliance on mourners using private cars because of poor public transport links.
But the refusal was successfully appealed.
However, one of the hundreds of objectors to the Duntrune proposal challenged the council decision at the Court of Session.
On legal advice the authority did not contest the case and judges ordered the council to form a new review body to look at the application again.
Site visit essential in eyes of committee
Development review committee convener David Cheape said: “There’s no doubt a site visit is paramount.”
Roads officials have also been asked to deliver an up-to-date speed survey for the area around the site.
A new 40 mph speed limit on the B978 Kellas Road between Ballumbie and Kellas was part of the 2023 approval.
Campaigners say the narrow roads near the planned crematorium are a ‘rat-run’ which have seen numerous accidents.
Councillor Brenda Durno said: “I feel there should be a new traffic survey done.
“The one we have is from 2019 and traffic has changed since then.”
The site visit date has not been set.
But the council recess begins later this month and the next scheduled meetings will not take place until August.
Mr Batchelor previously said he was ready to progress the 125-mourenr development as soon as permission is secured.
He initially hoped to have it open by the end of this year.
Another Angus crematorium bid is also set to be the subject of a planning appeal.
Planning officials refused farmer Neil McEwan’s application for land near Carmyllie Hall on the B961 Monikie to Friockheim road.
It was rejected due to “extremely limited” public transport serving the area.
