Plans for £4million private crematorium at Lytchett Minster in Dorset - first for more than 30 years

Tapper Funeral Service has unveiled its plans for the opening of Harbour View Crematorium at Lytchett Minster in Poole in autumn this year –  the first private crematorium to open in the area and the first to open in Dorset for more than 30 years. It is only the fourth crematorium in the county with Bournemouth, Poole and Weymouth being the other three.

The 10-year long project has seen a £4million investment into Dorset with local suppliers and resources being used throughout the build with Bournemouth-based Glossbrook Builders being the main construction contractors. Purbeck stone has been used to create both the interior and exterior of the building.

Steven Tapper, joint managing director at Tapper Funeral Service, said, ‘‘It was important to us to design a crematorium which has spiritual identity and meaning by linking the building to the natural surroundings of Harbour View, reinforcing it as a place of calm. The structure of the building itself is of vernacular architecture design and influence has been taken from Nine Barrow Down in the Purbeck hills.

‘‘We took time to research and visit inspiring crematoria in Paris as well as Stockholm’s Woodland Cemetery, before the design we have today was created.’’

The 70-acre crematorium site will present a unique offering by housing all facilities required to conduct a funeral, as well as offering a refreshment space and kitchen. Families will have the opportunity to plan the funeral they want and will be given the time needed to say goodbye to their loved ones. Harbour View will also be more flexible in terms of service options as funerals can be held at weekends.

Crematoria in the area have been working to capacity for many years and Harbour View will have an immediate positive impact on this situation.

Steven added: ‘‘As a family run funeral service it was an easy decision to continue to invest in Dorset. With more than 100 years of experience in the industry it was the obvious next venture for Tapper Funeral Service to provide this vital service to a vast catchment area across Dorset. We hope that by opening the crematorium at  Harbour View it will ease pressure on existing crematoria and also provide a more convenient option for the bereaved in the Isle of Purbeck, Dorchester, Blandford and Wool.’’