A funeral parlour will open in the main street of Whittlesea, despite residents arguing that the business is not appropriate for the town centre and would have an “adverse impact” on its character.
Hall’s Funeral Services applied to Whittlesea council to open at 50 Church Street, which has been vacant for a number of years.
In its application, Hall’s Funeral Services said the parlour would conduct funerals and memorial services, as well as displaying caskets.
Mortician facilities were not included in the permit request.
It said services at the site would not include processions in or out of the building, and caskets would be taken in and out a rear door.
The company said that up 120 people would attend services at the site at any one time, with an average of one service to be held each week.
The application prompted 24 objections, with residents raising concerns about parking shortages during services and the impact of having a funeral home in the main street.
The council also received two petitions supporting the application, including one from Whittlesea Business Group, which said the proposal would generate activity in the town centre and encourage people to use local businesses.
In approving the application, councillors opted to reduce the funeral parlour’s capacity to 90 people to address parking concerns.
Cr Sam Alessi said he believed the funeral parlour would be beneficial to the township.
“It needs an activity centre that is robust,” Cr Alessi said.
“The use of a funeral parlour is well within the scope of what is allowed in a strip shopping centre.”
