MLA declares that delays to the revamp of Roselawn Crematorium are 'a disgrace' with services limited to 20 minutes due to current demand
The failure to start work on revamping Roselawn Crematorium in south-east Belfast is a "disgrace", a UUP MLA has declared.
Doug Beattie, the chairman of Stormont's All-Party Group on Funerals and Bereavement, made the comments as he demanded answers over why Belfast City Council has not started building the new facility yet.
There have long been complaints about the lack of crematorium facilities in Northern Ireland; in 2023, Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council opened the first such facility outside of Belfast to help cater for demand for such services in the Province.
In June 2022, permission was sought for a new two-chapel crematorium at Roselawn (made up of a pair of 200-seat ceremony rooms) to replace the current single-chapel arrangement.
The crematorium is run by Belfast City Council, but it had to apply to Lisburn and Castlereagh Borough Council for planning permission – and received it in June 2023.
In a statement, Mr Beattie has now complained that "further feasibility studies have recently been ordered" into the planned construction work at Roselawn.
Meanwhile, time slots for funeral services at Roselawn are limited to 20 minutes, maximum, to cope with the demand at the facility, he said.
“It’s been nearly 10 years since we first heard that the crematorium was going to be redeveloped, and two years since planning permission was granted, yet we are no further forward," said Upper Bann MLA Mr Beattie.
“We need to know what the justification for this latest study is and, more importantly, when a final decision is going to be made on this project.
"It’s a disgrace that this is taking so long and the amount of taxpayers’ money being spent on all these studies and discussions needs to be made clear.
“The human side of this is that it is causing great damage to bereaved people, who are seeing the time between death and funeral grow because of increasing demand for cremation, and have to suffer shorter services to say goodbye to their loved ones.
“Belfast and Northern Ireland deserve a crematorium that is fit for the future and we can be proud of, yet the council is continually kicking it into the long grass.”
The group he chairs is comprised of 13 MLAs drawn from the DUP, UUP, TUV, the Alliance Party, and Sinn Fein, as well as independent Claire Sugden, and its stated mission is to "support the causes and needs of bereaved people in Northern Ireland".
Emma Moore, the Northern Ireland President of the National Association of Funeral Directors, said that the current set-up is “not fit for purpose”.
She said: “The facilities aren’t as modern as they should be with no capability to do photo slide shows.
"There’s no streaming facility, which in this day and age is really poor.
“The experience that bereaved families and mourners are getting is way below the standard we should be able to provide for the community.”
The comments of Ms Moore and Mr Beattie were put to Belfast City Council.
It responded: “Elected members are considering options in relation to the new crematorium at Roselawn Cemetery.
“A report will be brought before committee in due course.”