Work begins on Bridgend crematorium extension

Work on a £1.2m upgrade and extension to the Coychurch Crematorium flower court in Bridgend has begun. The extension will be the first structural addition to the public areas of the main building since it first opened in 1970.

It came after the Coychurch Crematorium Joint Committee gave approval for the rear of the crematorium building to be extended onto the grassed area outside the exit doors of the Crallo Chapel. Bosses say this will help congregations to exit the chapel more easily as well as resolving access issues to the toilet facilities, which sometimes cause delays to later services due to the build-up of people in the area.

The project is now expected to be completed in time for the summer though the crematorium will remain open throughout the construction. To enable the works to proceed as quickly as possible all funerals will now take place in the crematorium’s Coity Chapel until the project is complete.

Coity Chapel can seat 60 people and the number of daily funerals will only be slightly reduced to allow for the restricted layout of the entrance and exit doors, along with the building works taking place on site. Cllr John Spanswick said: "The project provides a fitting way of bringing the crematorium into modern times by improving access for anyone attending a funeral. Cremations are now more common than they were when the building first opened and it is important we adapt to this and invest in the building for future generations."

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