Contractor sought for woodland burial provision

A private contractor is being sought to run a council-owned natural burial site located between Grayshott and Headley.The idea has been put forward by East Hampshire District Council on the land at Heatherley Wood, which was formerly occupied by a concrete crushing business.

But instead of running the site itself, the council wants to appoint a sub contractor. The idea has been broadly welcomed, and the district councillor for Grayshott says it would meet an urgent need in the area.But Cllr Ferris Cowper also warned this week that council tax payers need to have full confidence in the operator – and in the future of the site.

Heatherley Wood was the subject of a compulsory purchase order by the council in 1999, and it then took several years to decontaminate the land.Various options were suggested to bring it back into use, and a burial site emerged as the favourite.

Cllr Cowper said: “Burial capacity is needed, and it is well known that the graveyard of St Luke’s Church is full. A green burial site would meet that need.

“But the council needs to be careful that people have full confidence in the contractor, and that the site will be there in perpetuity and will be properly looked after and tended.

“The council need to ensure that there is no inference that a private company is in some way profiteering from the site. As long as that reassurance is there, I am supportive.”

Would-be operators have until noon next Tuesday, May 15, to register their interest.

Cllr Richard Millard, who is heading up the project, said: “We are looking to strike up a partnership with an experienced operator to make the most of this fantastic opportunity.

This is an extract from the Peterfield Post website, to view the full article please visit: http://www.petersfieldpost.co.uk/news/contractor-now-being-sought-to-run-green-burials-1-3822073