Controversial plans to build a new road near Perth Crematorium have been approved by councillors, despite an impassioned last-ditch plea by a leading funeral director to “let the city’s dead rest in peace”.
Objectors have accused Perth and Kinross Council of being “heartless” and “cold-blooded” over the planned route of a roads upgrade which will shave an area of land off the crematorium grounds.
More than 3,000 people have signed a petition calling on the local authority to drop the scheme, arguing that it is not acceptable to use land where loved ones’ ashes have been scattered.
But on Wednesday councillors agreed to reserve a strip of land for the new road between the crematorium grounds boundary and McDiarmid Park.
They also agreed to explore alternative sites for relocating an overflow car park.
Council leader Ian Miller said the development is crucial for the future of the city and would provide a vital link to a massive development of 3,500 new homes and a secondary school at Bertha Park.
Addressing a meeting of the full council, Andrew Pennycook, owner of James McEwan and Son Funeral Directors, urged councillors not to push ahead with the proposal. He said that hundreds of people’s ashes would have been scattered around the area since 1962.See also:Perth Crematorium work could disrupt 600 funeralsMr Pennycook told councillors: “You are custodians of these areas and I think the council needs to show respect and honour for the dead citizens of Perth by not reducing these areas to building sites.
“Would you please leave the city’s dead in peace?”
Mr Miller urged fellow councillors to back the plan.
“There is no doubt that if this does not go ahead, it will have a major impact on a range of issues.
“It will mean the loss of our proposed new school at Bertha Park. It would also place at risk the entire future expansion of the city.”
He said: “As a responsible council we are sensitive to the concerns of relatives who may have scattered ashes of loved ones on the adjacent gardens. That is why this paper makes it clear that, should any ground disturbance occur, the soil will be retained within the site and replaced.”
Mr Miller added that three of the families of four people whose memorials are near the planned road have agreed to have them “carefully moved”.
A fence will be erected to help keep the area secluded and Mr Miller accepted councillor Alexander Stewart’s amendment to consider other sites for a car park.
Mr Stewart, who also called for a public consultation on landscaping works, said: “Many residents, families and relatives have found this very harrowing and difficult to cope with, especially since there has been little or no consultation.
“Many, like me, have difficulty understanding why the boundary will run so close to the garden and they, like me, want to put forward proposals that safeguard the site and see further consultation and concessions.”
Councillor Willie Robertson said that the local Labour group were opposed to the scheme.