No to morgue (From Barry And District News)

No to morgue

A CROWD of furious residents vented their anger about the prospect of having a morgue metres away from their Barry homes by angrily waving placards in the faces of Vale councillors.

The Court Road and Ilminster Close residents carried signs reading "No bodies on our doorsteps" and "No to morgue", and lobbied the councillors before a planning meeting at the Holton Road civic offices last Wednesday.

They claim if Court Road funeral directors J Pidgeon and Son Ltd's application for a cold storage is given the go-ahead, children will be terrified, property values will plummet, neighbours' peace will be ruined by the noise coming from the coolers, and there will be disruption during building work.

The Vale's planning committee agreed to defer a decision until members of the panel had visited the site. This will take place on Thursday, February 9.

Valerie Hicks, aged 61, who lives on Ilminster Close with her husband Tony, aged 66, said: "This is a message to Mr Pidgeon - we are in the year 2006. Why take us back to the dark ages when bodies were on your doorstep?

"Things have progressed since then. Why can't you do what you want to do in a secluded, private area, away from our properties?

"We know we'll end up in there one day, but we don't want it shoved in our faces now."

Mrs Hicks said she did not agree that the proposed cold store is merely an upgrade of the existing building.

"Bodies have never been stored in there," she said.

"I have only seen a white van going to and from there, and I haven't seen that for a while."

Chief planning officer for the council Rob Thomas said that the coffins and bodies were already brought to the funeral directors' premises.

"The proposed cold store would extend and upgrade the storage facility," he said.