The new Cromer crematorium should be a facility to be proud of according a boss of the company behind the £3m development.

Bristol based developer Westerleigh Group is due to start work on crematorium, the first in north Norfolk, next month.

Mourners currently have to travel to Horsham St Faith near Norwich and King's Lynn to attend cremation services.

The crematorium is due to open in November and will be sited next to the Holt Road cemetery on land owned by Cromer Town Council.

Countryside campaigners from the AONB Action Group agreed to drop a legal challenge to the controversial development in January.

Westerleigh development director Adrian Britton said: 'An agreement has been made with the AONB Action Group and we are happy with their co-operation.

'We have had great support from the town council and now just want to put the crematorium in place, I am sure it will be a facility that north Norfolk can be proud of.

He added: 'Natural and landscape elements will take away impact of the development and we have ensured it will not be visible from the coastal footpath.

'The emissions will be cleaner than anyone travelling around in a four wheel drive.'

Speaking at the annual Cromer Town meeting Mr Britton said he expected the annual number of cremations to rise from 600 up to 925 within the first 10 years of opening.

He added: 'Given the number of deaths in the area it would not be possible to have more than 900-925 cremations a year and to reach the optimum number would take between eight to 10 years.'

An announcement on the construction company which will be building the crematorium is due to be made this week.

The application for the crematorium was unanimously refused by North Norfolk's District Council's development committee in June 2014, but approved on appeal to the Planning Inspectorate.

A High Court appeal by the AONB Action group was dismissed in November, with campaigners deciding against mounting a further legal challenge.