Plans to develop the first Borders crematorium adjacent to the Wairds Cemetery in Melrose have been approved.

Members of the Planning and Building Standards Committee of Scottish Borders Council (SBC) voted eight votes to two to agree the proposals, submitted by Westerlee, for a crematorium and parking spaces.

A total of 220 representations had been received in respect of the application, including petitions for and against the development.

SBC planners had recommended approval of the proposals with a number of conditions, including improvement of visibility at relevant road junctions. Members acknowledged that the unique nature of this application, including the wider benefits that would arise, outweighed what limited impacts might have resulted from the development.

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They agreed that the landscape and visual impacts of the proposed development were "very limited" and that the sensitive approach to design and landscaping taken by the developers were significant in reaching this conclusion. The Borders is currently the largest geographical area in the UK not to be served by a crematorium.

Commenting after the committee decision, the Leader of SBC, David Parker, said: "I am delighted that the Planning and Building Standards Committee has endorsed the proposals to build the region’s first crematorium.

"We have waited 30 years for the development of this much-needed facility and I am very pleased that the plans have been given the go-ahead and I know the majority of Borderers will entirely agree with the decision."

Executive member for planning and environment, Councillor Carolyn Riddell-Carre, who chaired the meeting, said: "I do think this is a good site for the Borders’ first crematorium. It is a low-lying site so the visual impact will be minimal."

The committee's decision will now have to be referred to Scottish Ministers as a result of Scottish Natural Heritage's objection to the application.

(GK/BMcC)