The new crematorium built on site of Haven Falls Funeral Home. Photo: STUFF / RYAN ANDERSON
Employees of a plumbing and gas fitting business in Wainuiomata have threatened to boycott the office, after crematorium construction work next door was done without building consent.
Director William Strang said his 25 employees at Water and Gas Plumbing Limited had described the sight as "offensive" and "horrible", and had concerns about its construction.
He cited a case Stuff reported last year, where a funeral home in Tauranga was fined for operating a faulty cremator that left neighbouring homes "enveloped by the smoke and ashes of dead bodies"].
"I am a bit upset at how it just seems to have popped up. I feel very strongly that something like this should be in the public conscience," Strang told Stuff.
The crematorium on Burden Avenue had been built by Sunset Cremations Limited, which also leased the land to Haven Falls Funeral Home, a funeral business with offices around the country.
Strang said he had only had good dealings with the funeral home, but Sunset Cremations should have conducted proper public consultation before building something so controversial.
"We should at least be able to put feedback in," Strang said.
Water and Gas Plumbing Limited director William Strang. Photo: STUFF / RYAN ANDERSON
Hutt City Council said establishing a crematorium did not require public consultation, with funeral parlours and all associated activities permitted within the general business area of the council's district plan.
It did require resource consent from the Greater Wellington Regional Council for discharges to air such as odour and emissions, but that had been granted last year.
However, public access to the funeral parlour and crematorium had been blocked, after the owner did not get building consent.
"Construction at the Haven Falls Funeral Home building containing the crematorium and alterations to the funeral home were undertaken without a building consent," Hutt City Council building control manager Richard Barton said in a statement.
"Due to the identified fire separation risk, the council issued a dangerous building notice on 10 July, requiring the owner to prevent public access to the funeral parlour and crematorium, until building compliance is achieved."
The council said the notice would be in effect for "as long as it took" to demonstrate compliance.
Health New Zealand had also reviewed the application under the Burial and Cremation Act and said "all relevant criteria were met". It said its construction had been approved by the director of public health.
Sunset Cremations' owner Sean Woods said in a statement he was going through the necessary compliance process, and that the funeral home was an "integral part of the community".
He added that the funeral home had been in operation on the site for almost eight years, and that the crematorium had been approved by Age Concern, local iwi and a neighbouring church.
Woods said he had consulted the neighbourhood last year before he had resource consent approved by the Greater Wellington Regional Council.
However, a landlord of a neighbouring property said he had only had informal conversations about the plan with Woods, rather than anything official.
- This story was first published by Stuff.