Increase to fill burial fee shortfall

Aberdeenshire’s infrastructure services has approved a 25% increase in burial fees – up £195 to £978 – over the next two years.

It is being introduced to plug a £525,000 shortfall in burial costs for the authority.

Committee chairman Peter Argyle admitted it had been a difficult issue due to its “sensitivity” and that “clearly there is a lot of sympathy”.

“But we do not have a magic money tree that we can shake.”

The changes are among a raft of proposals to save money, with increased costs for animal licences, dog warden services, food hygiene courses, tattoo licences and harbour berthing fees also included.

Another decision on whether to charge communities for the electricity to power their Christmas lights was put on hold until May for fresh reports.

After another public consultation, the decriminalisation of parking enforcement will now not proceed, but instead will be subject to a review “in a few years”.

Mr Argyle agreed that a business case “had not been made” at this time.

There will now be a public consultation on the review of parking tariffs across the authority, including either the removal or standardisation of free parking periods along with price rises.

Members agreed existing council-owned parking ticket machines would become cash only with the option of using the pay-by-phone method.