South Staffordshire burial charges to be reduced by 20pc
Burial fees in South Staffordshire are being reduced, it has been announced.
Some charges will go down by as much as 20 per cent when new fees are brought in later this month.
Charges for people living outside the district but want to be buried there are also being reduced.
Council chiefs today said a review had been carried out and costs assessed to make sure they are 'fair and justifiable'.
It comes at a time when many councils are increasing burial fees in the face of cuts.
From March 17, the cost of a single coffin lawn burial in South Staffordshire will go from £587 to £519 for interment.
The cost of burying cremated remains will fall from £307 to £240.99 for interment, along with a £476 charge for the exclusive right of burial.
For an unpurchased grave, which is one where a person does not buy the exclusive right of burial, the cost is falling from £913 to £743.38.
Previously, people living outside the district for more than two years faced a premium if they wished to be buried in South Staffordshire.
Under the new rules, those living outside the district for less than five years will be charged the same rate as residents.
Those who have lived outside the district for five years or more will be charged 1.5 times the normal rate.
Councillor Mary Bond, cabinet member for environmental services at the council, said: "We have reviewed our burial fees to ensure they offer the best value for money, but also reflect the work that goes in to maintaining burial plots.
"It is important that the fees and charges are fair and justifiable and would stand up to internal and external scrutiny."
Wolverhampton and Walsall Councils have both announced burial fee increases within the past two years and their figures compare unfavourably with South Staffordshire.
