Willmott Dixon has scooped a £7 million deal to build a crematorium on the outskirts of Thirsk.

The firm was appointed by Hambleton District Council.

The project on a 22-acre site near Busby Stoop, close to both the A1 and A19, will include a service hall to accommodate approximately 120 mourners plus additional room for standing. It also features an electric cremator to reduce carbon emissions when in use.

Willmott Dixon's work includes an entrance foyer, waiting lobby, offices and a family room, with parking for 160 cars incorporated into the site, allowing it to cater for larger funeral services. When complete, the crematorium will offer a memorial garden, meadows and a wooded area, making it a calm and peaceful place for reflection or for scattering ashes.

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Leader of Hambleton District Council, Councillor Mark Robson said: "I'm delighted we are getting this much needed and significant development underway in November. Undoubtedly, this facility is vital for our district, with mourners currently having to travel at least 40 minutes, to lay their loved ones to rest and often having to wait lengthy times to get a slot which is an added strain at an already difficult time."

Anthony Dillon, Managing Director for Willmott Dixon in the north: "We are pleased to be working in partnership with Hambleton District Council to create a facility that will serve the local community as a place of remembrance for people of all faiths and cultures, as well as fit sensitively into the surrounding landscape.

"As founding members of the Considerate Constructors Scheme, we believe in being good neighbours, and in delivering projects that leave a lasting local legacy far beyond bricks and mortar. We’ll be working with supply chain partners wherever possible to create local employment opportunities."