HOPES for a green burial site have been dashed for a second time over fears that it will destroy the countryside.Plans for the site off Mill Lane, in Martlesham, were thwarted yet again by members of Suffolk Coastal because they feared that woodland areas would be destroyed leaving huge acres of open space.

By Jessica Nicholls

HOPES for a green burial site have been dashed for a second time over fears that it will destroy the countryside.

Plans for the site off Mill Lane, in Martlesham, were thwarted yet again by members of Suffolk Coastal because they feared that woodland areas would be destroyed leaving huge acres of open space.

The application had been rejected once in December because buildings had been included in the plans, which went against Government policies.

But a revised submission that omitted the on-site buildings was once more turned down yesterday by the south area development control sub-committee.

After a site meeting, councillors decided that there was too much woodland and wildlife that would be affected if the burial site was to go ahead.

Heavy objection had surrounded both applications from parish councillors and residents in the area.

The parish council feared that a 20-space car park and access road to the land would be obtrusive and unnecessary.

They also said that the development would destroy the green buffer zone between the River Deben and the industrial site.

Residents in the area were also concerned about the loss of trees to provide access to the site and felt that it would be inappropriate to have a burial ground of this size on the edge of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

At yesterday's meeting, district councillor for the area, John Kelso said that in his experience of green burial sites, a tree was supposed to be planted for every burial which would create the kind of woodland that they already had.

He said: "In this case they are removing trees for a car park and access which I find unacceptable. It is a popular area and part of the Martlesham circular walk.

"The problem of access roads and car parks and loss of trees is particularly against the local plan and structure plan."

Councillor Ron Else, who represents the Hasketon area, added: "There is a lot of undergrowth which acts as a reservoir for all the wildlife.

"When we visited there were a lot of newts and frogs in the undergrowth and if it was to change into a burial site it would change the whole structure."