Pet crematorium given go-ahead after long-running planning battle

A CONTROVERSIAL pet crematorium outside Omagh is set to go ahead after a successful appeal against Fermanagh and Omagh District Council’s decision to block the development.

At the moment, there are just four other pet crematoriums in the North, and each of them are located in the vicinity of Belfast. The proposed Omagh facility will be the first of its kind west of the Bann, and will mean local pet owners will not have to travel far for the service.

The Planning Appeals Commission (PAC) has ruled that the reasons for refusal were ‘not sustained’ and that the facility should be granted permission, subject to conditions.

Tyrone man Paul Kelly submitted the application for the crematorium on the Tattykeel Road near the Pigeon Top, but the plan drew strong opposition from nearby residents concerned about environmental impact, privacy, and why the facility was not being located in what they called a ‘more appropriate’ site.

Opponents conducted a survey of local veterinary practices – two in Omagh and one in Fintona – which indicated that vets were satisfied with current cremation arrangements. It was also estimated that between 9–11 pets per week require cremation across three practices in the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council area.

However, PAC Commissioner Rachel Taylor said there is currently no cremation provision in the council area or the wider west, meaning pet owners or couriers must travel over an hour for the service.

“To have such a service provided more locally to allow for animal remains to be treated at a facility as close as possible to where the need arises is a logical proposition,” she said.

Ms Taylor also said that views of the facility would be ‘fleeting’ and that no evidence was provided as to how privacy would be impacted by the development.

The commissioner also dismissed concerns about the impact on property values, tourism, or the council’s net-zero targets, saying no persuasive evidence had been presented.

Conditions attached to the approval include that the shed’s doors remain closed while the cremator is in use, animal remains are stored in a freezer until cremation, and surrounding vegetation must be retained