“The first burial was difficult as we were not really ready
but the family were insistent that this is where they
wanted to have the funeral”
On the other side of the Pennines just off the M6,
Susan Gutierrez, a diversifying farmer who knows her
way round the planning system, has gained permission
in record time, a few weeks from conception to permission - unlike most other sites who are averaging two
years.
How is everything going Susan?
“We hope to open in the spring but are waiting for the
erection of a wind turbine and for the car park to be constructed. We have already planted 3,500 trees and my
vision is that the site will become a sanctuary for wildlife; we have plenty of hares and partridge here already.
On a clear day you can see Blackpool tower and I think
families will appreciate the beauty of the land which lies
in the foothills of the Trough of Bowland.”
What gave you the idea? “It is quite personal actually. I
had a stroke a while back and for the first time it made
me focus on my own death and what I wanted. I decided that I wished to be buried on my own land, then
I thought how nice it would be for others to have the
opportunity too.”