PLANS to develop a pioneers ‘resomation’ facility to provide an environmentally-friendly process to dispose of human remains have been submitted to Durham County Council.

Prism Planning has prepared the planning application regarding the proposed change of use of Unit F4, Morton Park Way, Morton Park, Darlington to provide a resomation facility with associated training centre, being a first for the Tees Valley. It is intended that both the technology and the training will be exported around the country and potentially overseas. The planning application is submitted in full on behalf of Mr J.M. Atkinson, Kindly Earth Ltd.

The premises would operate on a dual-purpose basis, the disposal of deceased persons in an environmentally friendly manner in the resomatoria and the training of both on-site staff and staff from other facilities around the country, some of which could be accommodated in funeral directors’ chapels of rest.

Resomation – technically known as alkaline hydrolysis but also known as water cremation – is a new and pioneering process for the disposal of human remains that has been developed as an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional cremation. It has already become established in parts of Europe and North America but is relatively unknown in the UK, despite its significant environmental advantages and reduced costs.

The process is an alternative to burial or cremation and is considered a more environmentally friendly approach compared with standard flame cremation.

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