Eastleigh Borough’s First Crematorium Opens in Bubb Lane, Off Hedge End’s Tollbar Way, 7 December
By Caroline_W | Thursday, November 19, 2009, 17:39
Eastleigh Borough’s first crematorium, Wessex Vale in Bubb Lane, will open on Monday 7 December. Although technically in West End, the crematorium will be 150 yards from Hedge End’s Tollbar Way.
Having cost an estimated £2.5m to build it’s being promoted as the most environmentally friendly crematorium in the UK and will hold about 1,500 funerals a year.
The operators, the Bristol-based Westerleigh Group, say the price will be £525 per funeral, up on their original estimate of £400, but still cheaper than at Southampton (£600) although more expensive than at Portchester Crematorium (£446) – the two most local crematoria.
Southampton and Porchester are also the two most busy crematoria in the country. John Allen, speaking on behalf of Hedge End Funeral Directors, F C Hughes in St John’s Road, said, ‘It is good to have another crematorium in the locality and which will provide an additional service for the bereaved.’
The chapel will hold 96 people sitting, with standing room for a further 150. Facilities will include a large computerised music library, there will be provision for live webcasts and online virtual tours will be available. The crematorium will also have a filtering system that will ensure smoke and odour and virtually all emissions are eliminated.
However, there has been much opposition locally to the building of the crematorium. There are concerns over loss of the ‘green gap’ between Hedge End and West End, and worries over the resulting increase in traffic which will affect both town and village.
So Hedgeendpeople would like to hear your views.
Do you have concerns over the siting of the crematorium, and the expected increase in traffic in and around Hedge End?
Or do you think the benefits to bereaved families locally outweigh these concerns?
Whatever your views – let us know!
Comments
My parents, who are attending a service at Wessex Vale this coming Monday, and who have lived in Hedge End for 46 years, had no idea that a crematorium had even been built nearby! I've had to "Google" it for them! I think that says a lot for the discretion of its operators, and their efforts not to make a huge impact on the area (in more ways than one). It always mystifies me why there are objections to such things as crematoria or funeral directors' businesses - every single one of us will need to use one or both services at some point, after all. As for objecting on the grounds of traffic movements, how many funerals have you ever come across which have taken place at rush hour? As regards location, where, in fact, would be a "perfect" spot for such a facility? None of us wants to face up to being merely mortal, after all, so maybe it's having a reminder of that fact that people really object to..... Having read the posts regarding fumes, I doubt very much that the crematorium operates an illicit night time trade. I'll gather my parents' perception of Wessex Vale following their visit on Monday.
By cathreyn at 08:37 on 16/09/10
Reportcan anyone tell me how you go about arranging to place a plaque in the memorial gardens at hedge end. Thanks
By chrissy1961 at 05:13 on 02/09/10
ReportThanks for posting the number, Keith. I shan't bother asking my friend now.
By Daniel_Clay at 07:34 on 24/06/10
ReportWhether they are caused by the crematorium or not (and I don't think they are offering a late night service there) if you are troubled by fumes, you can report them to the Council's enivronmental health team: eh@eastleigh.gov.uk or 023 8068 8329.
@TGRWorzel - the crematorium was a case where the Council rejected the planning application because we didn't think it was a good location, even though the case was made that the facility was required somewhere, but the decision was overturned on appeal by the Govt inspector.
By Keith_Day at 08:36 on 17/06/10
ReportHi Mickymich,
I know someone who works in a crematorium - not the Hedge End one. The modern ones aren't meant to give off any fumes at all and are heavily regulated/checked on this. Next time I speak to him I'll ask if there's any official helpline you can call to find out if there's something going wrong here.
Best wishes,
Daniel
By Daniel_Clay at 08:07 on 17/06/10
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