The Park, Plymouth’s brand new crematorium, has hit its latest significant construction milestone.
Located off Haye Road in Plympton, The Park has designs inspired by the landscape, where the buildings will nestle into the slope of the site.
With the just a few months until building work finishes, representatives from the Council and construction partner Kier gathered to lay a foundation stone that will be placed outside the entrance to one of the new Ceremony Rooms.
It marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the Council’s Bereavement Service who will move to the site when construction finishes this Summer.
Councillor Sally Haydon, Cabinet member for Cabinet Member for Community Safety, Libraries, Cemeteries & Crematoria, said: “I am so honoured to have been able to lay this foundation stone at The Park, which will be an incredible asset for Plymouth and its residents for many years to come.
“The road to this point has seen colossal efforts by so many Council members and officers and also our fantastic partner organisations.
“I can’t wait to come back here in a few months to see the site finished and operational for the first time.”
Doug Lloyd, regional director at Kier Construction, Western & Wales, said “It is a huge pleasure to lay the foundation stone at the Park as we celebrate the new facility taking shape and the positive impact it has already had on the local community.
“Throughout this project, we have worked with Plymouth City Council and Building Plymouth to provide local employment opportunities, including apprentices and work experience placements.
“Our local supply chain has also played an integral role in the delivery of this scheme, which is months away from being completed.”
The Park which will neighbour Drake Memorial Park, is being built with Plymouth Limestone and the Ceremony Rooms look out onto pooled water.
Outside, reflective spaces, designed for memorialisation and scatterings will embrace the local environment and ecology.
In addition, the site will benefit from a new café, which will be open to serve refreshments for people attending funerals and also for those visiting the site to pay their respects.
Crucially, though, it will have two rooms available for families to hire for wakes, memorialisation events or other family functions. The rooms will be ableto accommodate up to 40 guests or combine both rooms with the retractable wall and it will hold 75 guests.
Later this year, the Bereavement Service team will move to The Park from its existing base at Weston Mill. At that point, all cremations will take place here, with Efford and Weston Mill still active for burial and memorials.
More information on plans for the new crematorium can be found here – www.plymouthcrematoria.com