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Staffordshire residents unite against crematorium plan

The fight to stop a £4 million crematorium being built on green belt land in Staffordshire has been stepped up as protesters launched a letter-writing campaign.

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They intend to swamp South Staffordshire District Council with written objections to the proposed site in Broad Lane, Essington. The deadline for submissions has now been extended to next Tuesday.

The move followed news that Essington parish council this week recommended refusal of the development.

More than 600 people signed a petition and 250 letters of objection were received opposing the initial change of use application. Now residents have been told they must start all over again and object to the development itself.

At a public meeting at Mossley in Walsall on Tuesday, residents spoke of their fears over the crematorium.

Jaki Anscombe, secretary of Mossley Residents Association, said her main concern was the effect of mercury pollution on the local environment, caused when tooth fillings are vaporised.

Exposure to the metal is linked to damage to the brain, nervous system and fertility, with crematoria responsible for 16 per cent of the UK's mercury pollution.

She said: "There is a school close to the proposed site and this type of pollution would be especially bad for children."

Local councillors urged people to put pen to paper or email their concerns to the authority.

The land is owned jointly by South Staffordshire District Council and Staffordshire County Council. District councillor David Clifft, an independent, said their interest in the development appeared to be 'driven by finance rather than need.'

He said: "Residents have told me they fear Essington is becoming a dumping ground for any unwanted development, while anything good ends up in Codsall.

"On Broad Lane alone we have an application for a crematorium at one end, for a gipsy site in the middle and the new M6-M54 link at the other end. It's a nightmare for them."

He said Walsall Council had not been formally notified about the application.

"This has a great bearing on Walsall and I intend to speak to our chief executive Steve Winterflood to find out why that hasn't happened."

Councillor Louise Harrison, who represents Bloxwich West on Walsall Council, said residents felt 'extremely strongly' about the issue.

"About 900 people live in Mossley, another 700 on the Turnberry Estate and about 500 in Broad Lane - that's over 2,000 people affected. We are urging them to write to the South Staffordshire Council about their concerns."

Objections will be accepted up to the night before the planning meeting, in January, but residents are being advised to lodge their objections before Christmas.

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