A charity which provides Muslim burial space has been given the permission to create another 10,000 plot cemetery in east London, the Ilford Recorder reports.
Gardens of Peace which owns one site in Hainault, two in Redbridge and another at Chigwell feared it would run out of burial space.
But the concerns were overcome when the planning inspectorate agreed on Monday for the proposals to go ahead.
Gardens of Peace founding member, Farouk Ismail, told Ilford Recorder that “it’s good news”.
He said: “I am delighted, of course we will work with the [Havering] council and community every step of the way.”
The new cemetery will be built on disused land at Oak Farm, Maylands Fields, Harold Wood.
Despite both Havering Council and Gardens of Peace agreeing the development would be an inappropriate use of the green belt and the overall size of the site increased, policy lists cemeteries as a permitted exception.
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The planning inspectorate also concluded that the development would protect the countryside from encroachment and remain mainly rural in character and appearance.
