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Burial charges to increase in Aberdeenshire

Burial charges for Aberdeenshire’s cemeteries will increase this month as part of a review of the service.

An increase of around ten percent to charges will come into effect from April 1.

This follows a review approved by councillors at a meeting of full council in February to set the authority’s 2011/12 budget.

The provision of burial services and maintenance and management of the council’s 213 burial grounds was £1,924,000 in 2009/10.

Income was £857,000, with a net expenditure of £1,066,000. The increased charges will reduce this deficit by around £150,000.

Even with this increase Aberdeenshire Council’s charges are in the main well below the Scottish Local Authority average and the review will bring them more into line.

Chairman of Aberdeenshire Council’s Infrastructure Services Committee, Cllr Peter Argyle, said: “A number of council services have been reviewed as part of this year’s budget and this increase is necessary to reduce a funding deficit which costs the authority around £1million a year.

“The council has consistently had one of the lowest burial service charges in Scotland and this increase will bring us more into line with others across the country.”

Director of the authority’s Infrastructure Service, Iain Gabriel, said: “A ten percent increase in burial service charges will help the authority to continue to provide this necessary and valuable service and reduce the loss made.

“We will continue to monitor the Scottish Local Authority average and review our charges to ensure they are comparable.”

For more information on the authority’s burial grounds, please visit: www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/bereavement/grounds.asp