Angus farmer’s frustration over second Court of Session bid to halt £5m crematorium

The Angus farmer behind a near £5 million crematorium plan says a fresh Court of Session delay to the project is “incredibly frustrating”.

Guthrie Batchelor has twice been granted approval for the 125-mourner facility at Duntrune, on the edge of Dundee.

But the latest twist to the five-year planning saga has taken the matter back to Scotland’s highest civil court.

It is the second time a local objector has fought Angus Council’s go-ahead for the scheme.

In March, the authority did not contest Paul Dixon’s submission that a planning review committee decision to approve the crematorium was unlawful.

The council was ordered to form a new review body to decide on the application again.

And in August it reached the same conclusion the greenfield site was suitable for Angus’ second crematorium.

Duntrune crematorium start date delay

However, a request for a statutory review of the follow-up decision has placed a new question mark over the project’s start date.

Mr Batchelor said: “We’re completely in the dark at the moment so I can’t really comment on this latest case until we find out the exact reasons behind it.

“But what I can say is that it is going to delay the project and that is incredibly frustrating.

“We have twice been granted permission for this crematorium.

“This just puts a spanner in the works.

“It’s not a game to us. We’re a family business and we have put a lot of time and money into this.

“It is going to be around £4.7 million by the time it is complete.”

The Court of Session application was lodged just ahead of a statutory deadline for such submission.

“Because we went through this experience last year we held back on doing anything until that window passed,” said Mr Batchelor.

“The committee granted us approval after a very thorough review so we just want to kick on with this.

“It will be an ideal facility, but a few objectors have managed to stir up this hysteria around it.”

Separate Angus crematorium plan rejected

Duntrune also found itself pitched into the controversy around another crematorium planned for land near Carmyllie.

The Greystone proposal was refused last month.

Mr Batchelor said: “Any perceived inconsistencies objectors say there is with Angus Council’s decision-making process on that is absolutely nothing to do with our project.

“Our crematorium has been before two different planning appeal committees and been approved on both occasions.

“We are very close to getting the whole thing ready to start, but this will definitely delay that.

“It took around a year to go through the whole court process the last time so this is very frustrating again.”

Meanwhile, Angus Council said it has received notice of the Court of Session action.

A spokesperson said: “Angus Council can confirm that we have received court papers for the appeal of the decision on Duntrune crematorium, therefore, it would not be appropriate to comment on ongoing court matters.”