Long-awaited plans for a crematorium in Huntingdon have been unveiled by Huntingdon Town Council, just weeks after a rival bid was revealed.

The town council is proposing to develop a crematorium, cemetery and memorial gardens in Jubilee Park – which is home to a number of sports clubs.

The authority says it is considering the idea because of a lack of burial space within the town and the demand for cremations.

To develop the plan, the council has been working with Cemetery Development Services Ltd (CDSL).

“It is a significant project in terms of scale and cost but it is going to give back to the community in the long term,” Justin Smith, CDSL founder, told the council’s annual town meeting.

“Clearly, we have to be sure there is a demand to make it justified for planning. It would need to do at least 800 to 900 [cremations] a year to be viable, but we believe there is need for about 700 a year.”

A steering group has already been set up to develop the plans, despite town mayor, Councillor Daryl Brown, insisting it is one of a number of options for the site.

The news comes after a plan for another crematorium on the edge of Broughton was revealed in April, with Dignity Funerals proposing to develop a crematorium and memorial gardens on about 11 acres of land at Lodge Farm.

“The design is going to be bespoke, and going to keep it fairly modern and fairly fresh,” Mr Smith said of the Huntingdon plans.

“One of the requests from the steering group is that they want to try and recall the Fenland aspect, on the site there will be an awful lot of water used around the build.”

It is proposed the main chapel will seat about 100 people, and there will be a separate building – using existing sports club facilities – as a main centre for administration as

well as for wakes.

If the town council submit an application to develop the site it could potentially see Huntingdon Rowdies, Jolly Archers and Huntingdon Town Football Club moved to a purpose-built sports hub.

“First stage will be building the crematorium, whilst that is being built most of the sports activities will be able to continue as they are currently,” said Mr Smith.

“What we are taking out in terms of sports facilities we are replacing with as good as, or better than.”

A detailed proposal is likely to be developed by CDSL in the coming weeks.