DESPITE a warning from planning director Ashley Baldwin not to let emotions get the better of facts, members of Thurrock Council's planning committee overruled a recommendation by officers and backed a heartfelt plea from council leader Lynn Worrall to allow the creation of a pet crematorium in the borough.

The committee backed the proposal after hearing emotional arguments about the need for local, dignified services for grieving pet owners, despite officers recommending refusal over sustainability and green belt concerns.

The application for a new building in the green belt in the Fobbing ward to house the crematorium was submitted by Kevin Barry, who sought permission to convert an existing outbuilding at Brynmount Lodge on Fobbing High Road into a crematorium plant room, alongside a new single storey office and quiet room. The plans also include three parking spaces and the removal of existing stables and a barn.

Cllr Worrall, who lives in Tilbury and would not usually be expected to comment on a matter in another ward, spoke up 'as a resident' at the meeting and addressed the committee in support of the scheme.

She described the loss of a pet as a "genuine bereavement" and said families should not have to travel long distances to say goodbye.

Cllr Lynn Worral addressed the meeting, saying she was speaking as 'a resident'.

"I want to speak today not just about a planning application but about something far more human. Planning is not just about the buildings and the boundaries, it is also about people."

"The bond between people and their pets and the dignity they deserve when the bond comes to its final moments.

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"For many families in our borough, a pet is not an accessory or an afterthought. They are companions, protectors and constant sources of comfort.

"They are the ones that greet us at the door, sit and wait with us through illness and bring joy into homes that might otherwise be very quiet.

"When a pet passes away it is not a minor event. It is a genuine bereavement. And at that moment when a family is grieving families should not have to travel 25 miles away just to find a place where their pet can get a dignified farewell."

Cllr Worrall told councillors there was no local provision and no objections from environmental health officers had been made, adding that there were no identified impacts from noise, odour, traffic or amenity. "This is not a question of commercial need, it is a question of compassion," she said.

The site location and where it will be developed.

Ockendon councillor Russell Cherry also backed the plans, saying the facility would allow owners to be certain their pets were cremated individually rather than through bulk services.

"This could be a small, local business," he said. "It is in the green belt, but I don't think it's going to impact much."

Applicant Mr Barry said demand for pet cremation services was increasing alongside rising pet ownership.

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Kevin Barry spoke emotionally about his applications, saying it met a real need and was not just a business but a thing close to his family's heart.

He told councillors Thurrock had around 70,000 households, with an estimated 60 per cent owning pets. He argued it was unrealistic to expect people to use public transport to carry deceased animals, adding most journeys would be by car regardless of location.

Planning director Mr Baldwin told members: "Ultimately committee have the gift to make a decision they think is appropriate but that does need to be based on planning considerations.

"I would encourage the committee not to make a decision based on emotion. 

"That needs to be put to one side. You can talk about the economic points, you can talk about need and location but, absolutely, emotion should not come into your decision making."  

However, Mr Barry's plea on behalf of his project and Cllr Worrall's words clearly influenced members, with Cllr Jacqui Maney admitting she was going to make a decision that 'was not practical'.

She said: "There's something about these applicants that are doing it from the heart. When Kevin was speaking, I could see he's doing it because he wants to do it for the love of the animals. I'm getting drawn into that and I'm not going to be making a practical decision."

Ashley Baldwin's directive not to let emotions interfere with decision-making cut little ice with councillors, with Cllr Jacqui Maney declaring openly she would make a decision that was not practical.

Planning officers had concluded the proposal amounted to inappropriate development in the green belt and that the applicant had failed to demonstrate unmet need or sustainable location. They recommended it be rejected but no councillors were prepared to submit that recommendation on their behalf and in its place Cllr Tom Kelly put forward a recommendation to approve subject to conditions laid out in the report to make sure the crematorium was run appropriately.

He said: "This doesn't mean that someone can rock up in the green belt willy-nilly and open a commercial business. We are going to want evidence."

Cllr Kelly concluded that, on this particular occasion, very special circumstances to allow the application were based on unmet need and minimum impact.

Five members voted in favour of Cllr Kelly's recommendation, including Cllrs Maney, Cherry, Roy Jones and Sue Shinnick, while Cllrs Srikanth Panjala, Steve Liddiard, Mike Fletcher and Cathy Sisterson abstained.