PLANS have been published for a new crematorium in Dewsbury.

And Kirklees Council officials have also revealed plans for a big new municipal cemetery at Fenay Bridge.

It will have hundreds of plots and will sit on land bordered by Fenay Lane, Southfield Road and Penistone Road.

Kirklees Cabinet members will get their first viewing of that scheme and what Dewsbury’s new £3m crematorium could look like when it meets to discuss investment in cemeteries and crematoria on March 26.

The new crematorium is part of an £8m-plus investment in bereavement services over the next five years.

Some £2m will be spent on a facelift and improvements to Huddersfield Crematorium at Fixby and more than £3m on improving and developing burial facilities, including £1.5m for the 20-acre site at Fenay Bridge.

Also, £325,000 will be spent at Batley and £1m on other cemetery grounds throughout Kirklees.

The plans for Dewsbury are for a new building within the crematorium site and grounds rather than refurbishing the existing crematorium.

Clr David Hall, Cabinet member for bereavement services, said: “The need for a new Dewsbury facility was identified some years ago.

“The siting of a replacement crematorium was the subject of consultation. The result was an overwhelming preference for it to be in the existing crematorium site area.

“We will be providing a state of the art facility fit for the 21st century.

“The crematorium itself, and associated services and facilities, will provide a top-quality service in a sensitive and caring setting, providing maximum choice and using the very best practices.

“Display areas for memorials will be built into the design, with relatives given a maximum of choice. There will be improvements to other aspects, such as car parking and the crematorium grounds.”

Feasibility studies will be carried out between April and August, followed by design work up to December.

Tendering processes will be completed by March next year, with building work starting in April and being completed by April, 2010.

Clr Hall added: “Upgrading and improvements at Huddersfield Crematorium have been needed for some time.

“They will include new cremators, new memorial display areas and traffic management, to separate people leaving one funeral service while others may be arriving for the following one.

The Huddersfield area is desperately short of burial spaces.

Clr Hall said: “The design of the proposed Fenay Bridge grounds has been modified following consultation.

“It will include a specific area for ‘green’ burials. It will be carried out in two phases, with the first one being completed by the end of this year.

“Relatives will be able to buy various types of memorials, including seats, planters, rose and flower blocks, and plaques, in addition to

providing headstones to fit in with the ‘burial chamber’ system to be adopted.

“This entails the use of what are called ‘headstone slots’, which will mean there being no problems of unsafe headstone toppling over, as is experienced in some other cemeteries.”

The Slaithwaite proposals will see the site redeveloped, access and parking improved and an area set aside for natural burials.

Work will start in August and be completed by December.

The Batley plan has already received planning permission for extending the site and spaces available.

The proposals include a new Angel’s Corner, for the burial of babies and certain foetuses.

A study will be carried out to see if natural burials will be possible in an area that has been developed as woodland.

Clr Hall said: “The overall £8m investment will see a vast improvement in cemeteries and crematoria facilities across the district.

“It is investment that has been needed for a long time and part of our strategy is to ensure that our facilities are maintained effectively in the future.”