A CONTROVERSIAL planning application to see a mausoleum housing hundreds of dead built in Orpington has been declined.

Residents of Old Hill, near Green Street Green, were concerned after a property owner submitted plans to Bromley Council that would see a mass grave for up to 1,000 burial crypts erected.

Victoria Willis, 42, said she was fearful of the environmental impact of the project, citing potential health concerns as well as increased traffic in the area.

She said: “It seems a bit odd they’ve applied to build a mausoleum in a residential area – it wouldn’t be a nice thing to have so close to peoples’ homes.”

The site, called Old Hill Farm, would have seen existing buildings converted into a working grave, as well as parking for both staff and visitors.

But Bromley Council today announced the decision to refuse the work. Councillor Russell Jackson, chairman of planning, said: “This application was clearly very contentious locally but we have to look at the planning merits of any application and in this instance we had serious concerns about how the proposed development impacts on greenbelt land and the consequent impact on surrounding highways.”