Cost of dying to rise in Sandwell
The cost of dying is set to rise in Sandwell as council bosses propose to charge families more for burials and cremation.
Under new plans, burials will rise by £63 for adults and £59 for children at Sandwell cemeteries from April.
The measures will be decided at Sandwell Council's cabinet meeting on Wednesday (31).
Sandwell Council leader Steve Eling said: "The prices have increased due to inflation, but this is not because of cost-cutting plans.
"We haven't got a great fee hike on anything."
Deputy leader Syeda Khatun said the decision to increase charges was not taken lightly.
Councillor Khatun said: "In the face of increasing government cuts to the council’s budget and the increasing cost of delivering the service, no decision to increase charges is taken lightly.
“These small increases in our charges enable us to continue to deliver excellent bereavement related services to those families who need it most at difficult moments in their lives.
“We will continue to invest in our facilities which are considered to be amongst the best nationally.
“Overall Sandwell’s bereavement related fees still continue to be significantly lower when compared locally.”
Sandwell is the latest Black Country authority to propose an increase in burial and cremation charges.
In December, Dudley Council tabled to plans increase charges for adult burials by £78.
Dudley bosses also said the increases were down to inflation.
In Sandwell, the new proposed burial rates have increased by three per cent from the 2017 charges.
An adult burial currently costs £2,115.61, but under the new plans, the price will rise by £63.39 to £2,179.
For baby burials, the cost is proposed to rise by £52.89 from £1,751.11 to £1,804.
Other burial services are also set to rise under plans.
Families will have to pay more money for wooden caskets, coffin bearers, visual and audio recordings, grave inscriptions, badges and crests.
Sandwell Council has already laid out plans to bring in new features to its burial services.
CCTV could be installed across cemeteries in a bid to combat crime, after mourners raised concerns they had been targeted by thieves.
Plans to offer water cremation at Rowley Regis crematorium are also on hold, after Severn Trent Water refused to issue a trade effluent permit.
The burial method sees waste water from dissolving bodies flushed down sewers.
