Plans for a crematorium in Chingford Mount cemetery have been heavily criticised by a group of local residents who are concerned about air quality degradation and increased traffic, reports Sebastian Mann, Local Democracy Reporter

A virtual mock-up of how the new crematorium will look. Credit: Waltham Forest Council

Residents in Chingford have formally challenged the council over plans to build a crematorium in a local cemetery.

The Chingford Mount crematorium was formally approved by Waltham Forest Council’s elected planning committee in April.

The council says it is necessary to meet demand, based on predictions it will run out of burial space by 2033, and the borough needs its own crematorium.

The residents association has submitted a formal complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman, which will assess whether the council has breached its duties, but no decision has yet been made.

Currently, more than 85,000 Waltham Forest residents live more than a half-hour’s drive away from a dedicated crematorium. That equates to around 1,625 cremations annually, according to council figures.

Though the council says the £11million scheme has been largely supported by residents, there has been consistent backlash from campaigners.

A spokesperson for the Chingford Residents Association said it had received “numerous emotional pleas from grieved residents who are outraged, scared and feel their voices have been ignored”.

She said the “greatest fear echoed across the community is that the council simply does not listen”.

In a statement, deputy leader Clyde Loakes said: “Residents in the area were consulted as the project progressed, with letters and invitations to engagement events delivered to approximately 9,000 homes and businesses within a 2km radius of the cemetery.

“The majority of respondents to the council’s consultation agreed that Chingford Mount Cemetery is an appropriate location for the crematorium.”

One of the key criticisms by the Chingford Residents Association is its proximity to people’s homes.

They say the facility will be within 200 yards of people’s homes, which they claim contravenes the Cremation Act 1902.

However, the council says it will be 100 yards away from the nearest homes, complying with strict planning and environmental regulations as per the London County Council (General Powers) Act 1935 Section 64, and 1971 Section seven, which supersede the Crematorium Act 1902.

The group is also concerned about the impact on traffic, pointing to recent images that show heavy congestion at the cemetery gates.

In its formal complaint, the association said the effect of going from one funeral per week to eight would “cripple our roads significantly and impact the quality of lives especially those residents that live right by the cemetery”.

However, Cllr Loakes said: “We have undertaken extensive modelling and planning to make sure the new crematorium has minimal impact on local traffic.

“The average number of vehicles attending per service is around 21. Old Church Road currently sees approximately 10,000 vehicle movements per day – the new crematorium will add 168 to this on average.

“There is already ample parking provision at the cemetery that can be used by mourners.”

He continued: “Local people should be able to say goodbye to their loved ones here in their community. The Chingford Mount Crematorium will give them an opportunity to do this.”

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