East Cambridgeshire District Council is to build a state-of-the-art ecological bereavement centre alongside a beautiful lakeside setting at Mepal.
The plan for the council-owned land includes a crematorium, natural burial area and the potential for a pet cemetery. Set within flower meadows and woodland walks with views overlooking the lake, it will give the residents of East Cambridgeshire a beautiful and peaceful setting in which to say goodbye to and remember their loved ones.
The site has also been thoughtfully designed to protect and enhance the significant biodiversity and ecology that exists alongside the lake.
Council Leader, Cllr Anna Bailey, said: "Losing a loved one and coming face to face with grief is often the hardest thing any of us encounter. Death is very much a part of life and something we all need to come to terms with. But the people of East Cambridgeshire must often travel long distances, outside the area we love and are familiar with, to say our final goodbyes. This new bereavement centre will provide us with a beautiful, tranquil and peaceful setting where we not only go to say farewell to loved ones, but can return to again and again to keep them alive in our hearts. This is a unique offering, and, in my mind, there is nothing more precious we can give."
This is very much a community project. As it progresses, we will keep residents informed of our plans and look at ways we can work together to provide the best service we can for the people of East Cambridgeshire.
Our state-of-the-art bereavement centre has been designed to blend in naturally with the lakeside setting. Visitors will enter a welcoming area, where they will be able to see the funeral procession arrive beneath the porte cochere. From here, they move into the main multi-faith chapel. A secondary service chapel is accessed off the main hall for small ceremonies.
At the end of the ceremony, visitors will leave the main hall and make their way along a raised flower walkway which incorporates a viewing terrace overlooking the lake. A small function room and memorial gardens are available for visitors who wish to stay longer.
There are plans to provide a pet cemetery discretely located away from the crematorium. This is likely to form a later phase of the project.
The following operational facilities will be located on site:
There will be a mix of areas outside where friends and families can remember loved ones or enjoy peaceful natural surroundings.
These will include:
There will also be:
All landscaping will be designed to protect and enhance the biodiversity of the site.
Many local authorities own and operate crematoriums and cemeteries. Because we already own the land, it is proposed the bereavement centre be run "in house" by the council. The centre is also expected to generate 7 new jobs.
The council plans to allocate a £9 million contribution of community infrastructure levy money to build the centre. This is money provided to the council when new developments are built, to assist it in providing new community facilities. The money for the bereavement centre is in addition to CIL money already set aside for leisure, community projects and new infrastructure.
The council is confident within 2 years the bereavement centre, which will provide services to families at or below the market rate, will begin to generate an income for the council. This income helps us fund community projects and negates the need to increase Council Tax.
Following approval of the Full Business Case, the council is commissioning further detailed design work. It will then tender for the works before construction begins. This process is expected to take a year and a half. Providing everything goes to plan the site should be open to the public in 2026.
July 2020 - Outline business case submitted to the council
2020 - Public and professional consultations and site surveys
October 2022 - Planning permission approved
January 2023 - Full Business Case approved
Summer 2024 - Survey work starts on site
Spring 2025 – Council to go out to tender
Autumn 2025 – Work starts on site
2026 - Bereavement centre opens
A total of 14 ecology surveys were conducted at the Mepal site between March and September 2020, with more taking place in 2024. These confirmed the site provides suitable habitats for bats, otters, hedgehogs, brown hares, nesting birds, wintering birds, amphibians (toads and newts), owls, water voles, invertebrates, reptiles, dormice, and mining bees.
The site is also designated as a Country Wildlife site because of rare pond weed in the lake. Overall, the site is considered to be of moderate to high ecological value. This will help inform the extent to which the site can be developed for future uses.
Plans for the bereavement centre have been designed to protect the significant biodiversity and ecology that exists. Ecologists from The Wildlife Trust who undertook the surveys also confirmed it would be detrimental to its biodiversity to use the site for outdoor pursuit activities, such as sailing, canoeing and paddle boarding.
There are many reasons why the council has decided to operate a bereavement centre from the lakeside at Mepal:
The council wishes to provide good value and easier access to cremations and burial services for residents in East Cambridgeshire. It is estimated that within a 30 minute travel time of the Mepal site there is an annual need for 1355 cremations. Following a competition appraisal and an analysis of usage of current and planned crematorium, it is expected around 500-700 cremations will take place every year at the Mepal site, along with approximately 20 burials.
The council prides itself on coming up with innovative solutions to support the community in which it serves. Turning the Mepal site into a bereavement centre will transform the site into something not only needed in the district, but also capable of generating an income stream, which in turn can be used to benefit residents.
Following an arson attack and the closure of the outdoor centre, the council has been open to ways it can breathe new life into the site. It worked cross-party to try to secure a new operator to continue leisure use at the site, but despite huge efforts, the only provider that showed interest decided it was not viable. Ecology surveys carried out at the site have now confirmed it to be of significant ecological interest, which in turn means any commercial development of the site also needs to protect and enhance the wildlife that has made it their home.
The unique ecology of the site means it has attracted many endangered species. These range from a rare pond plant, to otters, bats and fieldfares. Since 2005 the site has been designated a County Wildlife site. Operating a bereavement centre from the site enables the council to develop it in a way that protects and enhances habitats for wildlife.
Over the years the site has been a target for antisocial behaviour, including two arson attacks. The first of these, which took place in December 2016, destroyed the main buildings, caused the closure of the outdoor centre, and could easily have led to more catastrophic consequences. Doing nothing would require the council to pay for the continued provision of expensive security arrangements.
The cremator will be powered by renewable energy. Cremators powered by renewable energy release around 90% less carbon than a conventional gas cremator, supporting the council’s aims to become carbon neutral.