The announcement by East Cambs Council on Friday to build a pet cemetery at Mepal comes as a family run farming and transport business had just announced proposals for a pet crematorium at Littleport.

Just 15 miles from Mepal, the long-established Smith family had been in talks with county and district planners about a pet crematorium at Westmoor Produce in Westmoor Drove, Wisbech Road, Littleport.

Westmoor Produce had inquired of the county council if their crematorium required an environmental impact assessment. It doesn’t.

The company wants to demolish an existing building on their land and create a purpose-built incinerator and associated buildings related to the running of a crematorium.

The proposed incinerator stack height is 7.1m and the proposed building dimensions are 15m x 10m, measuring 4m to the eaves and 7.2m to the ridge of the roof.

Splitting it off from the rest of the yard will be a new 1.8m boundary fence treatment with vehicle and cycle parking to the front of the new site with spaces for staff and customers. The proposed project area is 843.5 square metres.

Westmoor says their project includes the operation of an incinerator for the cremation of animals. It would have a maximum capacity for 30 animals/pets per day and would be suitable for small to large household pets (e.g. parrots, rabbits, cats and dogs).

The company says the incinerator would be located within an existing storage yard of an agricultural/industrial premises which is bordered to the west by grade 1 agricultural land which is used for arable farming.

Discharge to air during site operation will be via a flue extending above the roof on the north facing slope of the rear of the building.

The incinerator manufacturer has provided expected emissions data, the council was told. Emissions would be controlled by an environmental permit issued by East Cambridgeshire District Council.

“The proposed project will be controlled by an environmental permit with strict controls which will ensure that the process does not result in the release of any pollutants into the ground or surface waters,” says a report to the district council.