Decision on new Muslim cemetery in Sutton deferred by Peterborough City Council

Councillors have deferred a decision on plans for a new Muslim cemetery.

The proposed cemetery off Old Peterborough Road in Sutton, which would include 8,488 burial plots, a ceremony building, maintenance building and 64-space car park, was due to be discussed at a council planning meeting yesterday (Tuesday, October 21).

Council officers had initially recommended that the plans were refused, but they informed those at the meeting that new information had been received at the last minute which meant a deferral was needed.

Phil Moore, development management team leader at the council, said: “The reason why we’re doing this is because we want to make sure that any decision made by the council on this application is robust and not open to potential legal challenge.”

It was heard that new information around burial rates was provided which meant one of the reasons for officer refusal had fallen away.

Mr Moore explained that this resulted in the officers dropping their original reason for refusal around the need for the cemetery being overstated.

A last-minute challenge was then received which argued for a full re-consultation on the application.

Councillors agreed to defer the application until the next planning meeting on November 11 so a 14-day consultation could take place.

Chair of the meeting Cllr Amjad Iqbal said: “Some paperwork has come at the last minute and the council has a duty to follow the due process.

“We’ve got to bear in mind that if the process is not followed properly, there is always a possibility for a JR [judicial review] and that costs the council.”

It was also heard at the meeting that a deferral would not necessarily mean the officers’ recommendation for refusal would change, and the reason which stated that the proposed development was “out of character” with the area still stood.

Plans for the cemetery were submitted by Sageer Mohammed of the Green Meadows group in November 2024.

Castor, Ailsworth and Sutton parish councils were among the interested parties that objected to the plans, as well as city councillor Gavin Elsey, the Peterborough Civic Society and 192 local residents.

Despite the strong opposition, the plans also received 407 comments in support from residents, including Cllr Raja Sabeel Ahmed who claimed the cemetery would address the “growing needs” of the Muslim community.

Some of the reasons for objection from residents included questioning the need for a new burial site, loss of agricultural land, impact on the rural area and claims of a Muslim-only cemetery being non-inclusive.

Those in support of the cemetery claimed the site would address growing demand, support inclusive burial practices for all faiths and reflect core British values of tolerance, mutual respect, and freedom of belief.

The application will now be decided on at a planning committee meeting on Tuesday, November 11.