A NEW crematorium planned for Heaton has overcome its last hurdle after the Secretary of State declined to "call in" the plans.

The facility at Long Lane will replace the existing Nab Wood Crematorium, and plans for the multi million pound facility were approved by Bradford Council's Regulatory and Appeals Committee last year.

But for the crematorium to gain full planning permission it would have to go before the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government - Robert Jenrick.

This was because the crematorium would be built on a Green Belt site.

He could decide to "call in" the plans - meaning it would be the Government and not Bradford Council that would have the final say.

But in has now emerged that Secretary of State has contacted the Council to inform them that he would not be calling in the decision.

The Council says it does not yet have a date for when work at the site would start.

The Council had said the new crematorium, which will include new, more environmentally friendly cremators, was needed to replace Nab Wood, which was operating beyond it working life.

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Nab Wood's facilities also did not comply to modern, stricter emission standards for cremators. The Council said the existing site could not accommodate the much larger, modern cremators and abatement equipment.

Despite being in Green Belt, the privately owned site in Heaton was found to be one of the only suitable sites in the North of the District due to legal requirements that crematoria cannot be built close to housing.

The Long Lane plan proved controversial - with over 130 letters of objection to the application and a petition signed by 250 people.

Objectors had raised concerns about the traffic the crematorium would bring to the area, and urged the Council to choose a different site for the Crematorium.

After the Committee approved the plans, objectors contacted Bradford West MP Naz Shah to raise their concerns.

Ms Shah wrote to Mr Jenrick urging him to call in the plans.

She said: "The proposed crematorium would dramatically disturb the area and the surrounding roads with no added benefit for the wider and surrounding communities in the immediate vicinity.

"The increase of traffic pollution along Long Lane has the potential of decreasing property value and land value in the area. At present, the area is a desirable location for families and farmers alike."

She claimed the development would go against the Council's climate change ambitions.

However, Mr Jenrick has not opted to call the decision in - meaning Bradford Council's decision to approve the Crematorium still stands.

A spokesperson for Bradford Council said: “We have received confirmation from the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government that the planning application for a new crematorium in Long Lane, Heaton - which was approved by Bradford Council - will not be called in by his department.

“It’s too early to say when the works will start.”

The site will also include a large car park and garden of remembrance.