The billionaire Issa brothers face an uphill battle to get super cemetery - the size of 68 football fields - approved.
Proposals have hit a significant snag, with council officials 'requesting further information' on the development.
Mohsin and Zuber Issa, who built up their investment empire from a Bury petrol station, are hoping to build the 90-acre cemetery on the outskirts of Oswaldtwistle, LancsLive reports.
READ MORE : The billionaire brothers who built an empire from a Bury petrol station and bought ASDA for £6.8bn
But planning chiefs at Hyndburn Borough Council say they want more detailed information on the planning application for development off West End, between Stanhill and Knuzden.
Since submitting the plans, more than 2,800 people signed a petition objecting to the proposals.
During a public meeting at Oswaldtwistle Conservative Club, Labour councillor Noordad Aziz outlined some of the benefits of the ‘over 90-acre’ scheme, described it as “a legacy project” which could meet the borough’s burial capacity requirements for a century.
Hyndburn Council's decision to cast eyes on the planning application means they do not know when they will be able to validate and register the application - at which point the planning process will be enacted.
A council spokesperson said: “Once the planning application is validated and registered, local residents will be consulted and the submitted plans will be made available to view on the council’s website and the online map will show the site boundaries.”
They said the application will also be advertised in the media and on council's Facebook page, site notices will be erected, and neighbours in the vicinity of the site will be sent notification letters - following all of which a 21-day consultation period will be enacted.
At the public meeting last week, Conservative group leader Coun Marlene Haworth, a St Oswald’s councillor, spoke out in support of campaigners opposed to the scheme.
Coun Haworth told LancsLive: “We are not against a cemetery. We are just against where they are putting it.
"Everybody accepts the fact that at some time we may possibly need another cemetery, but we do have enough spaces at the three cemeteries we already have in Hyndburn. We have places there that will last us - one for up to 90 years, one up to 50, and one up to 40.
“There are a lot of spaces there and, of course, a lot more people are using cremations now.
"We feel there’s no immediate desperate situation.
"The main objection was the fact of where it’s going to be - just off Blackburn Road. Blackburn Road into Accrington from Blackburn, and the other way, is a flaming rat run road with massive amounts of speeding on there. There have been several accidents including fatalities, and the [cemetery] entrance and exit will be on that road.”
Other concerns raised have included wildlife and visual amenity, along with protection of green belt and prevention of urban sprawl.
