Council burial charges on the rise for families
Charges for burial and cremation services in Stafford will rocket by up to 12 per cent under new plans.
Families face hikes in the cost of burial plots as well as inscriptions to headstones, vases and memorial plaques.
The plans come as a councillor claimed Stafford Borough Council were hitting people with fees and charges while freezing council tax.
The cost of purchasing a burial plot will go up by 12 per cent to £1,100, while cremation fees will go up by five per cent from £625 to £655.
While the price of getting a casket will increase by eight per cent to £65, headstones will now set people back £185, with a new eight per cent increase taking the cost of inscriptions up to £40.
Cremation fees will also rise to £375, a three per cent hike.
The plans have been discussed by the council's community services scrutiny panel.
Chairman, Councillor Ralph Cooke, said: "There is plenty of opposition against these increases, particularly those relating to bereavement services.
"These are a regressive tax that the council is increasing year after year, except these charges bear no relation to income, unlike council tax.
"The money brought in by fees and charges dwarves what the council receives in business rates and council tax, yet the cost keeps rising.
"So, while the council claims that freezing council tax is helping people, they are just whopping them with fees and charges."
Councillor Patrick Farrington, leader of Stafford Borough Council, said: "The council has to, by law, annually look at reviewing our fees and charges.
"The process of bringing in new charges has been discussed at a scrutiny meeting, the recommendations will then go to a cabinet meeting and a decision will be made in the future."
Increases will also hit street traders, whose annual payout for an A500 road site will increase from £5,175 to £5,400, while the daily cost of setting up a stall on other sites will increase by 4.2 percent to £20.
Traders at Staffords farmers market will also face a five per cent increase in costs.
However, bosses have decided to freeze rates for traditional market traders at St John's Market.
Replacing bins will also become more expensive, with the cost of getting a new 240 litre green bin going up by 16 per cent to £35.
