A DETAILED planning application has been lodged for a new crematorium in a field at Craighall to the south of Musselburgh.

East Lothian Council will now consider the project from the Westerleigh Group, a developer and operator of crematoria and cemeteries, with 35 facilities in England, Scotland and Wales.

A single-storey crematorium, of around 500m2 internally, which would house a 112-seat chapel, is planned in the larger of two fields on the site.

There would be a waiting room, accessible toilets, administration office, crematory, covered walkway and floral tribute area.

Car parking providing 112 spaces, including six disabled accessible bays and an additional four spaces for staff parking, and memorial gardens are also planned.

East Lothian Courier: How the south elevation of the new crematorium would look

George Bell, regional manager for north and east from Westerleigh Group, said: "There is a pressing need for a crematorium in East Lothian.

"East Lothian does not have a crematorium of their own and their residents currently have to travel long journeys into Edinburgh, through busy roads, to access a crematorium.

"The area already has a large population base and this is going to grow further in the coming years, with some significant new housing developments being planned.

"If our planning application is successful, this new crematorium will also serve the wider Edinburgh City region.

"We pride ourselves on creating and maintaining crematoria which are welcoming, attractive places for remembrance and reflection, and which are true assets to their local communities.

"The teams at all our crematoria have proudly earned a reputation for providing exceptional care and support to local people, enabling families to remember, mourn and celebrate the lives of their loved ones in a way that is uniquely personal, and we look forward to hopefully being able to bring that same high level of service to the people of East Lothian.

"Earlier this year, we conducted a public consultation exercise and were delighted to receive a positive response.

"The full planning application has now been submitted and we hope to receive a decision in early autumn."

The site of the proposed development is around 13 acres, located north of the village of Old Craighall. It is located to the south of the slip road linking the eastbound A720 to the westbound A1 and these form the northern and eastern boundaries of the new crematorium. The western boundary is formed by Old Craighall Road and the southern boundary is formed by a minor road linking Old Craighall Road with the eastern part of Dalkeith Country Park.

A planning statement, issued on behalf of the company by Holder Planning, said: "The application site is in a very accessible location. The A1 and the Edinburgh City Bypass (A720) converge nearby to offer excellent levels of road access from a large surrounding catchment. The site can also be accessed via public transport."

It added: "Significant increases in population and death are projected for East Lothian, Midlothian and Edinburgh over the next 20 years, which will materially increase the demand for cremation services."

Also highlighted were the supposed economic benefits:

  • 57 construction jobs, on and off-site, of which 33 would be for residents of East Lothian;
  • Six permanent on-site jobs, of which three will be for residents of East Lothian;
  • £180,000 Gross Value Added (GVA) from the net additional permanent jobs;
  • £13,500 per annum in business rate (gross) for East Lothian Council;
  • £750,000 per annum in additional local expenditure;
  • £200,000 in public sector revenues over 20 years for East Lothian Council.

The planning statement concluded: "Westerleigh have undertaken a comprehensive public consultation exercise in advance of submitting the planning application, including meetings with the Old Craighall Residents Association and Musselburgh & Inveresk Community Council.

"There were no specific objections to the proposals, although understandably the residents of Old Craighall were keen to minimise any perceived negative impacts of the crematorium. Westerleigh have tried to respond to these points where possible."

Kenny MacAskill, MP for East Lothian, said: "An expanding population and a growing elderly community mean facilities are under increasing pressure.

"Crematoria are things we sometimes prefer to avoid discussing but they're essential and delays in accessing them can be distressing.

"Whether this site or development is appropriate is for planning officers and the planning council to decide but there's a growing need for one somewhere local."