Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council is offering land off the A47 Leicester Road in Earl Shilton, Leicestershire, for sale exclusively for development as a crematorium. The council published the sale notice on 9 February 2026 and says the sale includes a strict condition that the land can only be used for a crematorium.
The move aims to provide a local alternative for residents who currently travel to Nuneaton or to crematoria in south Leicestershire. The council says it will sell the land to an experienced private crematorium developer to shift the capital cost and construction risk away from the public purse.
Planning permission for a crematorium on the site was first granted in January 2019, but work stalled in 2021 and the council decided in late 2024 to abandon the council-led build because of rising construction costs and contractor market difficulties. The council says the chosen developer will need to renew highways and ecological assessments and submit any necessary planning applications; it also expects the development to create jobs for local people.
Residents have previously raised concerns about traffic on the A47 near the proposed site. Cllr Keith Lynch, Executive Member for Finance, ICT & Asset Management, said it was important residents had ‘an alternative, affordable facility close to home that will reduce waiting and travelling times while creating jobs for local people.’
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