Burial plot charges increase to £2k in Sandwell amid cemetery plans
Council bosses have defended a seven per cent increase, which will see the cost of a burial plot in part of the Black Country rise to more than £2,000.
The above inflation increase has been agreed by the borough’s cabinet to help pay for a controversial £2.2 million new cemetery in Rowley Regis.
But cremation and funeral fees in the borough will still be amongst the lowest in the Black Country, a leading councillor has said.
Councillor Wasim Ali, cabinet member for resources and core services, proposing the increase said despite the rise Sandwell residents will still pay less for funerals than other families in the West Midlands.
He said: “Seven per cent might sound like quite a bit but in comparison to Birmingham and Black Country we are still considered to be considerably lower than those other authorities and we are one of the very few councils who provide no charge for child burials.
“It is going to fund the excellent work with do in our burial services and a new cemetery in Rowley Regis which has been approved by full council.”
The cost of a cremation will now increase in April by £51 to £775 and burials will go up by £135 to £2,064. But the council’s low cost funeral service, which provides a cremation, coffin funeral car and a minister to conduct a service, will remain unchanged at £1,643.
The proposed increases come after the authority approved a plan to build a new cemetery on open land on Powke Lane.
Council officers said the graveyard is needed because the borough is running out of plots in existing facilities.
The scheme was opposed by residents who presented a petition with 1,200 signatures calling for it to be rejected.
Councillors had previously put the brakes on plans for new burial space opposite the existing Powke Lane Crematorium after the concerns were raised by neighbours.
It was finally approved in October when a full council meeting narrowly voted in favour by 35 to 25 votes with three councillors abstaining.
A detailed report was taken to the safer and active neighbourhoods scrutiny board which looked at the issue of the lack of burial space – and the board recommended councillors back the plan to create new burial space, saying it was the best option.
