Ludlow town councillors are proposing an increase in the cost of burials by more than a third and a near trebling of the cost of re-opening a family grave for another burial.
At the council’s services committee meeting this week members agreed a plan that would see the price of burials within Ludlow rise by 39% and the cost of re-opening of a grave rise by 189%.
Town councillor Martin Taylor-Smith said the decision to approve the increases was unanimous.
If the price of funerals didn’t go up then there would need to be a council tax rise to cover the excess costs currently being borne by the town council, he added.
If the proposal is passed the cost of burials will rise from £270 to £375 and re-opening from £80 to £231.
“The increases will bring our fees into line with other councils and are those recommended by the Shropshire Council,” he added.
County Councillor for Ludlow Rural Viv Parry said: “The people that this will affect have just lost loved ones.
“As if these people’s lives aren’t bad enough Cllr Taylor Smith would like to add a little more misery by charging them £375 to bury their relatives!”
In addition to the emotional element of this subject Cllr Parry also said of the financial impact: “We are in the middle of a recession, businesses and councils all over Britain are trying to bring down costs for people.”
Any such increases first have to be approved at the full town council meeting on January 26.
Residents of Ludlow can make their objections known by attending the meeting at 7pm in the Bishop Mascall Centre.
Alternatively they can write to their local town councillor before this date.