Cost of cremations to rise by 7 per cent

8:57am Wednesday 20th March 2013 in Local

BURIAL and cremation charges in Bolton are set to rise.

Council chiefs have approved plans to increase the cost of cremation by 7.1 per cent and burials by 2.7 per cent from April 1.

The move means the price of a cremation will rise from £560 to £600, while the cost of a burial will increase from £730 to £750.

The cremation hike is being blamed on the increasing cost of gas and electricity, the price of ongoing maintenance, and investment in special equipment needed to allow the cremation process to meet legal environmental guidelines.

The West Chapel at Bolton’s Overdale Crematorium was reopened last November after a £171,000 refurbishment — which included a system to recycle heat from cremations and reduce emissions.

Another £650,000 was spent on installing a new cremator, which complied with government demands that the crematorium halve its mercury emissions, mainly caused by teeth fillings. The crematorium was also redecorated, given a new sound system, carpets, windows, lighting, curtains and re-fitted pews, along with improved toilet and waiting facilities.

Cremations at nearby Radcliffe and Chorley cost £655, while Howe Bridge in Atherton costs £610.

Burials in Bury cost £740, Wigan costs £777, while Salford costs £840 for residents and £1,250 for non residents.

Darren Ainsworth, of Fred Hamer Funeral Services in Tonge Moor Road, said: “I’ve got to say the cost of burial and cremation in Bolton is quite reasonable — they’re probably a bit behind in that sense.

“In austere times every penny counts, but if someone was going to go outside of Bolton they would probably face higher costs anyway.”

Cllr Nick Peel, the council’s executive cabinet member for environment, regulatory services and skills, said: “The reason that costs are going up is that we have got to recover costs to meet expenditure, but it is cheaper than Howe Bridge in Atherton and Radcliffe.

“Burial charges have also gone up, but that’s an inflationary increase.”

He added: “We’ve recently made a significant investment in facilities at Overdale, some of which we’ve had to do because of emissions legislation, and we also have to bear in mind rising energy prices.”

Comments (7)

9:11am Wed 20 Mar 13

MarkAllRead says...

Do these people think we've got money to burn?
Do these people think we've got money to burn? MarkAllRead

11:16am Wed 20 Mar 13

cliff4treasurer says...

A much better idea in these financialy challenging times would be to pay the relatives a rental fee and prop the bodys up around Bolton town centre dressed as traffic wardens!
The stench wouldn't be any worse and think of the savings on wages and especialy the commission paid to the wardens,
Tickets could be self serve like parking meters where instead of a pay and display ticket you automaticaly get a parking ticket instead.
This would do so much harm the object of destroying the town centre could be achieved.
Oh sorry, our local councillors have already done that.
A much better idea in these financialy challenging times would be to pay the relatives a rental fee and prop the bodys up around Bolton town centre dressed as traffic wardens! The stench wouldn't be any worse and think of the savings on wages and especialy the commission paid to the wardens, Tickets could be self serve like parking meters where instead of a pay and display ticket you automaticaly get a parking ticket instead. This would do so much harm the object of destroying the town centre could be achieved. Oh sorry, our local councillors have already done that. cliff4treasurer

12:59pm Wed 20 Mar 13

sunfun says...

So the dead are going to have to pay for councillor morrises and peels follies
So the dead are going to have to pay for councillor morrises and peels follies sunfun

2:33pm Wed 20 Mar 13

JOHN HIGHAM says...

Come on.. Let`s look at what you get at "overdale" A dirty nasty place that the couclil at Boton would need to pay YOU to use that rat-hole of a place......Howe Bridge is a thousand times better than Bolton`s ratpit place and if Howe Bridge increased the fee to double what the ratpit is I would still pay to go to Howe Bridge
Come on.. Let`s look at what you get at "overdale" A dirty nasty place that the couclil at Boton would need to pay YOU to use that rat-hole of a place......Howe Bridge is a thousand times better than Bolton`s ratpit place and if Howe Bridge increased the fee to double what the ratpit is I would still pay to go to Howe Bridge JOHN HIGHAM

2:48pm Wed 20 Mar 13

steveG says...

We need to privatise this aspect of public service, which, due to the monopoly enjoyed by councils,has a ridiculously high cost.
At the end of the day a dead body is burnt,how,with the greatest respect, can that justify a charge of over £700?.
We need to privatise this aspect of public service, which, due to the monopoly enjoyed by councils,has a ridiculously high cost. At the end of the day a dead body is burnt,how,with the greatest respect, can that justify a charge of over £700?. steveG

5:05pm Wed 20 Mar 13

sallyupsteps says...

Being an ex miner my old dad used to say that "you never see any on left on top." It seems that in the future he may be proved wrong. How can a price hike of this magnitude be justified.
Being an ex miner my old dad used to say that "you never see any on left on top." It seems that in the future he may be proved wrong. How can a price hike of this magnitude be justified. sallyupsteps

9:37pm Wed 20 Mar 13

grimtown says...

Asking residents for 7% then 3.7% council tax rise . Residents are paying for under performing highly paid executives indicative of the labour council wanting to be bailed out for miss managing funds.
Asking residents for 7% then 3.7% council tax rise . Residents are paying for under performing highly paid executives indicative of the labour council wanting to be bailed out for miss managing funds. grimtown

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