Ground has been broken at the new Hemel Hempstead Crematorium

Works started this month on a new crematorium based in Hemel Hempstead that will serve the needs of residents in Watford, Three Rivers, St Albans, Hertsmere, and Dacorum councils.

The 632m2 single-storey crematorium will be a sister site to West Herts Crematorium and will feature a main building housing a chapel, which can seat up to 139 people, alongside associated services including congregation, crematory, administration, and staff spaces.

Works also include a separate pavilion with memorial facilities, extensive landscaping, including car-parking, memorial gardens, woodland areas, long grass meadows with mown grass paths, and a hard landscaped entrance forecourt to the crematorium.

Elected Mayor of Watford Peter Taylor said: “It is so important that we lay our loved ones to rest in a timely way and that we have a beautiful and peaceful place to commemorate them and the lives they have lived. I am very pleased to see construction start on our new crematorium which will be a great asset to all in our community.”

Cllr Sarah Nelmes, the Leader of Three Rivers District Council, said: “Having the right place in which families and friends can say goodbye to their loved ones is so important, and this new building will provide a very special location in which that can happen. The designs show us just how thoughtfully planned the new crematorium has been - involving great care and creativity. In addition, it will allow time for longer ceremonies which can make such a difference for all those affected by grief.”

Construction works started on Monday 1 November and is expected to be completed by December 2022.