Crematorium charges defended as town makes top ten for costs
CHELTENHAM is one of the top ten most expensive places in the country to cremate a loved one, according to new figures.
Analysis by the BBC puts the town’s new crematorium at joint seventh position in a table of cremation costs, with a fee of £915.
The borough council, which has just spent £8.5million on the two-chapel crematorium at Bouncers Lane, says its charges are competitive.
It said it had brought in the option of ten-minute services earlier this year to cut charges.
The analysis suggests that cremation costs have risen by almost a fifth in the
last four years, with the highest charges for an adult service - of £960 - in Milton Keynes.
The BBC said the figures represented the cremation fee plus a medical referee’s fee and any environmental surcharge.
The new crematorium has on-site car parking, greater seating capacity in the chapels, enhanced landscaping and floral tribute facilities.
Borough council environment director Mike Redman said: “The service was in much need of new facilities after many years of technical failure. Feedback has been incredibly positive and we can now offer families the improved service they told us they wanted.”
He said the council had been shortlisted for a national award for its cemetery and crematorium service, and had also won the Municipal Journal award for Best Commercial Council.
He added: “Our cremation service has competition locally from other authorities and the private sector, including a new private crematorium (which we expect to reduce local demand by around 140 services per annum). These factors are all taken
The service was in much need of new facilities Mike Redman
into account when determining service charges.”
Mr Redman said a new scheme had been brought in to help families struggling to afford the cost of a full service, with one for just ten minutes.
“To help tackle the issue of funeral poverty, the authority this year introduced a new ‘sunrise service’ offering a cost-effective, but respectful service for families that might otherwise struggle to afford a more traditional funeral.
“This provides for a much shorter service of ten minutes in our 75-seat Willow chapel, but there is still the respectful option of music, with the cremation costing just £400, which is currently less than half our normal fee.’’