CONTROVERSIAL plans to include two parks on a list of potential sites for new crematoria will be discussed by Councillors next week.

The decision to include both Littlemoor Park in Queensbury and Northcliffe Park in Shipley on a list of five possible sites for two new crematoria in the district has led to a wave of objections - with petitions calling for the plans to be dropped set up for both parks.

Bradford Council has announced that it will be replacing two of its crematoria - Nab Wood and Scholemoor. Officers say the facilities are already operating beyond their original lifespan.

They said the need for "mercury abatement equipment" would mean the new crematoria would have to be much bigger than the existing facilities, and so could not be built at Nab Wood or Scholemoor.

Three sites have been suggested as possible replacements for the Nab Wood site - Northcliffe and two other privately owned sites. Two sites mooted as replacements for Scholemoor are Littlemoor Park and another privately owned site.

The Council has not disclosed the locations of the privately owned sites due to commercial confidentiality.

A report presented to the Council’s Executive last week revealed that 20 per cent of Littlemoor Park would be needed for the crematorium, and five per cent of Northcliffe Park would be needed.

The Executive heard that the preferred option would be to build the facilities on the private sites, but that the parks had to be considered “to keep all options open.”

Both parks were left to the people of their respective areas in charitable trusts, and the Council is the sole trustee of the parks.

A petition calling for the Council to reject Northcliffe Park as a possible location has so far been signed by over 730 people. And a similar petition to secure the future of Littlemoor Park as a site of conservation importance for Queensbury has been signed by over 640 people.

On Thursday the Council’s Regulatory and Appeals Committee will meet as trustees to discuss both parks. Members will be asked to approach the Charity Commission to allow the sites to be considered as potential new locations for the crematoria.

Shipley’s two Green Councillors, Martin Love and Kevin Warnes, have written to the Council warning that “a massive public campaign will be launched if Northcliffe continues to be considered as a potential development site. Such a campaign result would result in an increased workload for officers, and the Council’s reputation could also be seriously damaged in the process.”

The Friends of Littlemoor Park have raised concerns that the report into park being presented to the committee says there are no “other considerations” apart from the fact that it is in a trust.

Carolyn Bowe from the Friends of Littlemoor Park, pointed out that the park has also been listed as a ‘Site of Conservation Importance’ a Priority Habitat Network by the Forestry Commission and a Deciduous Woodland Priority Habitat Inventory by Nature England.

The committee meets in City Hall at 2.30pm