Green light given to burial fees increase

Local authority chiefs have given the green light to plans which will see burial fees hiked by 10 per cent from next year.

Those seeking a burial in one of the council’s cemeteries will now have to pay hundreds of pounds more for their loved ones’ bodies to be held, cremated and buried.

But SNP and Labour councillors have claimed those services are still “well-priced”.

Labour’s Alan Lafferty said: “Historically in East Renfrewshire our charges are considerably lower than neighbouring authorities.

“It would appear that the deceased are another group who are taking advantage of our excellent, well priced services.”

The council will raise the cost of holding bodies on weekdays from £816 to £897.60 for residents and from £1848 to £2032.80 for non-residents.

On weekends and public holidays, residents will see prices rise from £1416 to £1557.60 while those from outside East Renfrewshire will be charged £2461.80 – up from £2238.

The weekend and public holiday costs are the same for Hebrew cemeteries but on weekdays the prices will go from £756 to £831.60 for residents and from £1668 to £1834.80 for non-residents.

East Renfrewshire residents will pay £270.60 for cremations on weekdays and £567.60 on weekends and public holidays – up from £246 and £516 respectively.

Non-residents will see cremation costs go from £546 to £600.60 on weekdays and from £876 to £963.60 on weekends and public holidays.

Residents seeking a new lair for a coffin will pay £1003.20 – up from £912 – while new residents will see the cost rise from £2094 to £2303.40.

Those who purchase lairs in advance will pay now pay £1553.20 instead of £1412.

Council leader Tony Buchanan said: “I think we note there’s a significant increase in our charges for burials but I think the fact that we still deliver an excellent service and deliver it at as reasonably as we can has to be noted.”

Council chiefs have also laid out other “miscellaneous” fees including feasibility certificate costs rising by £21 to £231, coffin exhumations rising from £1908 to £2098.80 and cremated remains exhumations going from £420 to £462.

Lair certificates will rise by £2.45 to £26.95 while duplicate certificates will cost £53.90 – up from £49.

Transferring of titles will go from £51.50 to £56.65 while ‘search fees’ will rise from £98 to £107.80 and the cost of setting up a memorial foundation will go from £112 plus VAT to £123.20 plus VAT.

But there will be no charge for the burial of children under 16 for residents of East Renfrewshire while non-residents will get a 50% discount on weekdays.