Concerns raised about increase in Cheltenham burial fees

Burial fees will increase by 10% from April

Concerns have been raised after a council voted to increase burial fees by 10%.

The controversial decision made by Cheltenham Borough Council will come into force from April.

After the increase, a traditional grave is expected to cost £1,677.50 whilst a cremation grave will cost £852.50. Monuments, headstones and vases will also see an increase of the same rate.

The council defended the decision and blamed the rise on inflation.

At a budget meeting on Monday, council chiefs discussed the challenges the authority had to deal with as a result of the cost of living crisis.

Councillor Wendy Flynn questioned why the prices were increasing so much, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

She said: "Charging people an extra 10% during a cost of living crisis when they've lost a loved one and that service is already making a huge surplus just seems to me to be incredibly wrong.

"I understand that the cost of the service to Cheltenham Borough Council is £1.5m, yet the income that will be raised from those fees is £2.7m.

"That gives a net surplus of £1.2m. I wondered where that £1.2 million goes?"

Councillor Peter Jeffries pointed to inflation and said "one of the biggest costs when it comes to the cemetery is fuel".

He added: "It's been a massive cost and unfortunately there is an inflationary increase shown in the schedule there."

He also assured Ms Flynn that he would get her more information about the figures after the meeting.

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