Blackburn with Darwen burial fee rise proposals called in

The Tory group is accusing the council's Labour bosses of seeking to 'profiteer from death'.

Now the planned rises will have to be reviewed by a special committee.

The authority's Conservative group has 'called in' the proposed increases which borough environment boss Cllr Jim Smith estimates at around six per cent from January 1.

He blames sky-rocketing energy prices which have put up the costs for bereavement services.

The latest move, by Livesey with Pleasington Conservative Cllr Mark Russell, follows him submitting a similar call in request over the council's proposed increase in charges for all parking in Blackburn town centre.

It is proposed charges will go up 30p from Monday, February 5, and the abolition of separate cheaper tariffs for Sundays, which Cllr Russell claims will have a 'negative impact on town centre footfall and businesses'.

The burial and cremation charges call in comes as borough public health boss Cllr Damian Talbot put forward an increase in fees and charges across the council's leisure services department from January 1.

At the beginning of the month, Cllr Smith proposed increases in burial and cremation fees expected to generate an additional £130,000 annually.

They included rises for an adult cremation from £920 to £980; for a grave purchase from £1,450 to £1,600; and for a single burial from £590 to £630.

Cllr Russell's 'call in' request, backed by five other Conservative councillors, says: "The proposed increases are too large.

"The crematorium and cemeteries between them have been budgeting to make annual profits in the region of £1 million, so these increases make Labour appear to be profiteering from death.

"The decision fails to get basic maths right - it states grave prices are increasing by 6.08 per cent but they are actually increasing by an unjustifiable 10.34 per cent."

[The actual percentage rise from £1,450 to £1,600 is 10.34 per cent.]

Cllr Russell said: "Labour already budget to make a huge profit from the crematorium and cemeteries so these increases are not justified.

"I think residents would be surprised to learn how much profit the council budgets for from the cemetery given we regularly receive complaints about the upkeep of it.

"The proposed increases amount to an unnecessary death tax on bereaved families in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis."

Labour's Cllr Smith said: “2023/24 has been a challenging year financially due to the soaring cost of inflation and the impact this has had on budgets, in particular, the cost of goods and services, vehicles, fuel and utility costs.

"Increased costs and cuts to funding has hit all councils hard and Blackburn with Darwen is no exception. We expect 2024/25 to be just as challenging.

“Faced with some difficult decisions, it’s clear that increasing some fees and charges is preferable to cutting services – and this view is shared by those residents who took part in our recent budget consultation.

“We’ve double-checked the figures in the report and there was indeed one clerical error – one figure had been entered incorrectly.

"This will be corrected in line with the 6.08 per cent increase, making the proposed charge for a grave purchase £1,540 rather than £1,600.”

In a report on increase in leisure fees of between 3.45 and 7.25 per cent Cllr Talbot said: "The costs of operating the council’s three leisure centres has increased significantly in the past 12 months due to the spiralling costs of utilities and inflationary pressures on the cost of goods and services, including equipment, cleaning products and pool chemicals.

"The council will continue to provide over 100 hours a week of re:fresh sessions across the three leisure facilities which cost just £1.00 to access.

"A re:fresh membership card is available free of charge to anyone who lives and/or is educated or employed within the Borough.

"Health and fitness membership fees have not been increased. The student membership has been reduced to £20.00 per month."