Telford burial costs likely to rise in budget squeeze

The cost of a burial in Telford looks set to rise by £110 for a single plot under proposals to help cut £20 million from the council's budget for next year.

Single burials will rise from £283 to £393, while other tough measures will see users of leisure services across Telford and Wrekin paying 20p to use a locker – a facility which was previously free of charge.

These are all parts of Telford & Wrekin Council's proposed budget which is expected to be approved by full council on March 1.

The savings made from an increase in burial charges looks set to be £44,000 next year, while £8,000 will be netted through the introduction of a locker fee.

Other increases will include the introduction of a charge for disabled drivers who want to obtain a blue badge for their car.

The service is currently free but central and local Government has now said this will cost £10. A report to the council has said this will save £11,000 next year.

Theatre goers in Oakengates will also see a rise in their booking fee to £2, which equates to a saving next year of £4,000.

In its budget proposals, due to go before full cabinet on Thursday, the authority has said the increase in burial fees will 'bring the council in line with costs charged by neighbouring authorities'. The council, which saw a record response during its budget consultation, has said it has undercharged for the service 'for many years'.

Telford & Wrekin councillor Bill McClements, said: "A cornerstone of being a co-operative council is that we will seek and involve people in the decisions that we make. The budget challenge we face is perhaps the single most important issue for the council and I am delighted that a record number of people have got involved to help us make the very difficult decisions that we face."

The news comes after it was announced council tax?is going up by 2.5 per cent in the borough and will probably increase by the same amount for the next three years.