A pet crematorium could be built on the site of a former wartime hospital in Worcestershire.
Plans have been put forward for a chapel of rest, crematorium hall, memorial garden and visitor car park at Blackmore Park, between Malvern and Hanley Swan.
A proposal for the Blackmore Park Pet and Equine Crematorium has been submitted to Worcestershire County Council.
The county council is dealing with the application because it includes plans for a waste transfer facility.
Planning matters in Worcestershire are usually handled by the district and city councils.
“The application site is part of a large parkland area that was developed during World War II as an American hospital,” the application said.
“Following the cessation of the hospital use, many of the original buildings were subsequently used for employment purposes whilst others were demolished.”
Prior to its use as a hospital, the site was part of the Blackmore Park estate, which stretched for more than 3,000 acres across Malvern, Hanley Castle, Guarlford, Malvern Wells and Leigh.
The pet crematorium plan has been submitted by CVS, a company that runs several similar sites across the country.
According to planning documents, CVS has found “there is a requirement for those who have to make use of the crematorium facilities to seek and find comfort by being able to enjoy the provision of a sensitively laid out and planted garden together with the opportunity for contemplation within the chapel of rest”.
It says the buildings on the site would be split between customer-facing ‘front of house’ areas and functional areas including the crematorium hall.
“Chapels of rest and the waiting area will be closely linked to the memorial garden and be fully screened from the industrial processes at the rear of the site,” the documents say.
“The proposal crematorium hall layout is defined by functionality with a large open plan that is necessary to accommodate the various crematorium machines along with cold, dry and waste stores, and ash packing and engraving.”
The company says the crematorium is unlikely to impact heavily on local traffic as similar facilities tend to average around six visits per day.
To comment on the application, search for planning number 23/000052/CM on Worcestershire County Council’s planning portal.
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