A COUNCIL is set to revise controversial plans to store five-tonne wagons in a cemetery amid fury from residents.

Rossendale Council has applied for a Goods Vehicle Operator’s licence to add an operating centre to keep goods vehicles at Haslingden Cemetery in Grane Road.

The proposals, which will see four vehicles moved to the cemetery from The Whitaker museum, have sparked a furious reaction from residents who said the plans show a total lack of respect for grieving relatives of people buried there.

Now the council has said no vehicles will use the main entrance of the cemetery for access as it is confident that a nearby side road can be used instead.

Of the vehicles housed at the cemetery, the council said that only two will be caged five-tonne wags while the others will be a mower and tree maintenance vehicle.

A council spokesman said: “Furthermore, we absolutely guarantee that no refuse trucks will ever be relocated there now or anytime in the future.

“Following on from the response from concerned residents and cemetery users, and direction by the leader of the council and portfolio holder, we rechecked the legality of using the side road for the vehicles we plan to base there. We now are confident we have the legal rights to use it and the vehicles will use that instead of the front of the cemetery.

“As such, we will no longer look to make changes to the cemetery access road and will withdraw that part of the recent tender we published.

The spokesman added: “It is not unusual for vehicles such as the ones we are planning to place there to be in cemeteries. We will continue to make sure they will not disturb or cause distress to anyone visiting the cemetery.”