Alex Trelinski
BENIDORM is set to get its first funeral home/crematorium after plans have been mired in red tape since 2005.
Families have been going to Villajoyosa and other centres to say goodbye to their nearest and dearest because no facility existed in a city of over 70,000 residents.
Benidorm’s local government board is set to approve a municipal licence this Monday for the crematorium to be built at the Sant Jaume cemetery.
An operating contract was awarded 19 years ago to Grupo ASV who also run the Villajoyosa facility.
Delays were caused by the proposed building being constructed on non-developable rural land and mandated changes to the Highway Law to define public domain areas.
Benidorm mayor, Toni Perez, said: “This has been demanded as a necessity which will mean residents won’t have to go to other towns when a loved one dies.”
The project will see the cemetery area more than doubling in size from 41,780 m2 to over 91,000 m2.
Six wake rooms will be part of the new structure along with toilets and a cafeteria.
