Cost of burials in Walsall to rise

Burial and registration fees in one Black Country borough are set to rise, it was revealed today.

Bereaved families in Walsall will have to pay more for burials and cremations, while register office charges for marriages and baby-naming ceremonies will also rise.

Walsall Council predicts the additional charges will bring in an extra £90,000 next year. All service costs are set to rise with some increasing by just a few pounds while others will increase by up to £199.

But council bosses said the move will help fund the "significant investment" due to be made at Streetly Crematorium, including the installation of mercury safety equipment and the replacement of old cremators.

Some of the borough's cemeteries have also been extended with additional burial areas created while the public reception area at the town's register office has also been improved.

Councillor Anthony Harris, who is overseeing the changes, said: "It is important that we continue to offer a high quality service to our bereaved residents and we have outlined our commitment through significant investment over recent years.

"An annual review of fees and charges is an important part of the process in ensuring we maintain the high service standards we have set and these new charges will enable us to do this."

Fees within bereavement and registration services are reviewed annually.

The proposal to increase fees from January 1 2011 will go before Walsall Council's cabinet on Wednesday.

Under the proposals, the cost of the exclusive right to burial for a full grave will increase by £66 to £1,537, while the cost of a grave for cremated remains will rise from £809 to £845.

A burial held on Saturdays, Sundays or Bank Holiday will cost an extra 10 per cent on top of normal burial and interment fees.

The cost of a vault for three grave spaces will increase by £199, from £4,413 to £4,612.

Cremation fees, memorial plaques, headstones and entries into the Book of Remembrance are all included under the proposal.

Meanwhile, the cost of outside marriages and civil partnerships held on Saturdays and Sundays will increase from £339 to £354.