East Riding councillors have officially opened a brand-new crematorium at the heart of Holderness.
On Tuesday, February 21, Cllr John Whittle, the chairman of East Riding Council, officially opened the new £11 million crematorium in Lelley.
The new facility will provide residents of the whole region with a peaceful and tranquil space to say their goodbyes to their loved ones as well as providing a space for families to reflect and grieve.
Lelley Fields crematorium is the first of its kind in Holderness and will eliminate the travel times previously undertaken by local residents to access cremation services in Hull and further afield.
North Holderness ward councillor Mr Whittle, who oversaw the development from its
application, said: “I think Lelley Fields demonstrates something different within the East Riding. It is a first time the East Riding Council has opened and run its own crematorium.
“I have had the privilege of watching the construction from being on the planning committee when it was first passed. To see the final product is just absolutely mind-blowing. I think it is a fantastic testament, not just to the East Riding, not just to the architect, but everyone involved.
“You have the wonderful team who work here, you’ve had Kier Construction which has been working very closely with the East Riding. I think as a facility it is almost unique.
“It reflects the Holderness landscape, and it fits into the area. Holderness is a very special area of the East Riding – it’s an area I love dearly. It’s also an area that I have lived in for many years, and there is a special sort of atmosphere around our patch, from the coast and further in land. Holderness is just a very nice, pleasant place to live.
“The crematorium and the area around it will reflect that – certainly, as the woodland comes into flourish and as spring arrives. I think it will be a very pleasant, quiet and tranquil place and that is what people want when they are coming to say goodbye to loved ones. Last thing you want is hurly-burly – you want time to reflect and to grieve. This is the sort of thing this facility will provide.”
The crematorium has been hailed a success story for the Holderness region with its fast development time, having been constructed in 15 months. East Riding councillors also say that the authority has worked hard to ensure that various issues arising, such as traffic, have been rectified quickly.
Cllr Whittle added: “15 months is an extremely good timescale, and the fact that we have something out here in the Holderness rural area is going to save people a lot of travel time. It saves on fuel costs. It’s also real, local people. The staff here want to put their own stamp on the place and make it into our own Holderness crematorium.
“The last thing we wanted to do was fill the open countryside with lots of cars, but we also needed to provide a suitable facility. I think that in this location, we have got the best of both worlds.”
