Burials approved despite flood fears

CHESHIRE East has given the go-ahead for coffins to be buried at an ecological burial ground at Shavington despite concerns raised about flooding and groundwater pollution.

- BY BELINDA RYAN, LOCAL DEMOCRACY REPORTER

Santune Meadows is a natural burial site which already has permission for urn interments.

The application discussed at a meeting of the southern planning committee was to amend two conditions to the 2021 permission, to allow coffin burials on the site.

This would involve raising the land levels where the coffin burials would take place.

Ward councillor Linda Buchanan (Lab), speaking as a visiting member, told the meeting: "I fear that raising the level of land next to homes and fields that are already at a lower level than the current burial ground will put this area at increased risk of flooding.

"If this application is granted permission, there will need to be vigilant enforcement, monitoring and compliance to prevent serious related issues."

Mr Atteridge, a civil engineer who spoke on behalf of a nearby resident whose garden already floods, questioned the monitoring of the drainage installation and the groundwater.