COUNCILLORS are to visit a piece of overgrown land to see if it is suitable to be turned into a pet cemetery.

Members of Derwentside District Council's planning committee decided a site visit was necessary, before granting Yvonne Wilson's planning application.

She owns Murray Memorials, in Deneburn Terrace, The Grove, near Consett, and wants to buy land nearby from the authority to create a graveyard for people's pets.

But George Gibbon, who lives next to the site, has objected to the scheme on environmental grounds.

He said: "The site of the proposed pet cemetery has, over the years, reverted to a natural overgrown state, forming an oasis of green at the side of the A692, which enhances the area and balances the semi-industrial activities of the monumental stone mason adjacent to the site.

"The ground floods regularly in the winter, and is generally wet and swampy during the summer, providing an ideal environment for wild birds, insects and other creatures. The mature oak trees provide summer roosting for pipistrelle bats and a larger variety."

Ms Wilson said the company had no plans to remove any trees from the site, and that the ecology of the area would not be adversely affected.

She said: "We want to leave the area as natural as possible. The Environment Agency has looked at the site, and it has not found anything to be concerned about.

"We want to provide a service to the community. There is no legal requirement to bury a pet in your back garden, but some people are not able to do that and do not like the idea of leaving them at the vets to be incinerated."

The scheme has the support of senior area planning officer Ann Rawlinson who advised councillors to approve it.

The site visit is scheduled to take place at 2pm on January 2.