A proposal to build a crematorium on green belt land between two Huntingdonshire villages has been submitted to Huntingdonshire District Council.

Lodge Farm, between Broughton and Kings Ripton, has been earmarked by Sutton Coldfield-based company Dignity Funerals to develop a crematorium and memorial gardens on about 11 acres of land.

The firm has formally lodged the application after consulting members of the public earlier this year, and carrying out land assessments in late 2016.

The site has been targeted by the company due to what it says are capacity issues at other crematoriums in the county and the increasing lack of cemetery space in churchyards.

A spokesman for Dignity Funerals told The Hunts Post: “We are proposing to develop a small state-of-the-art crematorium surrounded by beautifully landscaped gardens of remembrance.

“Our proposed development would improve public services by reducing waiting times for funerals and journeys to existing crematoria for bereaved families.

“It would not require any direct funding from local taxpayers. We anticipate that there would initially be three or four funerals per weekday typically between 10am and 3pm.”

However, the proposal has already been criticised by those living near the site due to the planned entrance off of the B1090.

One resident said: “We do not believe that the B1090 will be able to accommodate even small increases in traffic, and because road widening would destroy ancient field boundaries it is difficult to see how this could be managed.”

Others have also expressed concern about the amount of accidents that occur along the stretch of road, and insist that a new junction for the crematorium would heighten the risk.

If the company is given the go-ahead, a single-storey building would be constructed which will house a chapel, a crematoria and administrative space. The chapel will be able to seat about 120 people, according to the application.

Along with the chapel, memorial gardens will be created and the venue will host car parking.

The planning application comes just weeks before Huntingdon Town Council revealed separate plans for a crematorium on Jubilee Park, in Huntingdon.

To view the proposal, go to www.huntingdonshire.gov.uk.