£6 million for delayed Omagh crematorium plan

A LONG-RUNNING proposal to build a crematorium on the site of the Greenhill Cemetery in Omagh has been allocated £6 million.

The money was assigned to the facility by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council (FODC) in its latest capital expenditure programme.

FODC has been in discussions with Derry City and Strabane Council to build the crematorium.

It is understood that FODC has prepared a business case for the amenity, which would be the first of its kind in the north-west.

But the plan – which has been in the pipeline since 2011 – has experienced delay after delay.

West Tyrone DUP MLA, Tom Buchanan, who has been keeping a keen interest in the development for over a decade, said it’s time that the council made a final decision on the crematorium.

“It is now more than ten years since a developer approached me about this crematorium, which is, unfortunately, another example of a project in Tyrone which has been unduly delayed,” he said.

“While planning permission was granted in 2012, the amount of money that is needed to construct the facility has clearly risen by three or four times, compared to what would have been required back then.

“Fermanagh and Omagh District Council should now push on, and make a decision one way or the other.

“The choice for them is to do it themselves or sub-contract its running to a developer or in a joint venture.

“Over the years, they have failed to make those clear decisions, and everything has been put on hold as a result.”

Last year, a special report on the facility was discussed by the council.

However, because it was dealt with ‘in-committee’, the public were not permitted to hear what the latest developments were.

Nevertheless, it is expected that a decision on whether or not to proceed will be taken sometime this year, and the allocation of £6 million in the council’s plan for the next few years appears to be a clear indication of its intentions.

The crematorium plan has been hit by a series of difficulties since planning permission was first granted more than a decade ago in 2012.

FODC had been in discussions with neighbouring Mid Ulster Council and Derry & Strabane Council over an amalgamation to jointly provide the crematorium.

However, Mid-Ulster subsequently withdrew from talks.