2 weeks Ago
Funeral costs will rise by nine per cent in Bolton as Town Hall chiefs increase the price of burying or cremating a loved one. It comes as the council department responsible for burials and cremations looks to save more than a £1 million. As well as funeral costs, the cost of school meals, on street parking fees, pest control fees and planning services are all set to rise following a newly-approved council budget.
Council Leader Nick Peel said: “The council has to balance its budget with the directorate of place budget and because of the last 15 years It has had to make cuts. Council Leader Cllr Nick Peel described the budget as a result of years of austerity. (Image: Henry Lisowski) “All efficiencies have been made as we are not allowed to overspend as a council.
We have managed the accounts of the council and are still able to provide efficient services including grass cutting, street sweeping and cemetery maintenance. “The current budget growth is £3 million in the budget for essential services. This creates new employment and new job opportunities, both of which are vital in the long journey to reversing 15 years of austerity in the new budget.
" A report detailing the funeral charges states that Bolton Council is 'still facing a very difficult financial period' but the proposed budget, which has been approved, is thought to be 'robust'. Under the new proposals this means burial services such as the exclusive right of burial, currently priced at £1,102.00 will increase to £1,201.
00. Similarly, a new plot for cremated remains will increase to £645.00 from £592.
00. A weekend interment for an adult involving a new grave will rise from £2,661.00 to £2,900.
00. Weekend interments for children will also increase to £544.00 from £499.
00. Graves and weekday interments for children under 18 years of age will not be charged and remain unaffected by the fee increase. Cremations are set to increase in their price, an early adult cremation will rise in price from £ 815.
00 to £ 888.00. The Heaton cemetery Muslim space will also be affected by changes.
The cost of one adult grave will increase from £1,102.00 to £1,201.00 following the increase.
Under 18s for this section will not be charged and will remain unaffected by the fee increase. (Image: Bolton Council) It comes as The Directorate of Place has been allocated £1,014,000 to achieve in savings for 2025/27. An aerial view of Tonge Cemetery.
(Image: Bolton Council) READ MORE: Woman rescued from vehicle after crashing into garden wall Man forever grateful 'chance at second life' as he says thanks Bolton mum's plea over 'catastrophic' BBL procedures Graves and weekday interments for children under 18 years of age will not be charged and remain unaffected by the fee increase. The report states: "The Council remains committed to improving our cemeteries and crematoria and is also mindful that they are not only places used for the purposes of cremation or burial but are also used as places for peaceful and quiet reflection. "This in turn helps the bereaved when they come to visit to remember their loved ones.
"Any proposed increase in charges is likely to be a sensitive issue and perhaps even more so within a Bereavement Service area. "However, the focus remains on providing the best possible standards of service, which includes not only the maintenance of our cemeteries but the ongoing aim of ensuring the long-term needs of the borough for burials and cremations are met. "In order to secure the continued level of resource, the Council now needs to review its Bereavement Services’ charges and is proposing to increase these charges by nine per cent.
"These proposed increase in charges were given approval as part of the council’s budget plan that was agreed at full Council February 2025. "There may be more of a financial impact on: • people with a religious/cultural belief that leads them to purchase more services/items • those on low incomes where the deceased has left no estate "Fees and charges will be benchmarked against neighbouring authorities to ensure that they remain competitive, comparable and fair. "Applying a consistent percentage increase across all items means that no person or community will be disproportionately affected by these changes.
"Financial support, to those who require it and are eligible continues to be available. Bereavement Services does not apply a direct fee to the family for the funeral of a person aged 18 years and under as the government provides a child funerals fund." Cemeteries across Bolton were given a thorough spring clean earlier this month, as the council has announced that its staff had finished working on all seven cemeteries around the borough.
This included grass cutting, trimming overgrown shrubs and brambles, and re-establishing and tidying up paths. Works were carried out on cemeteries in Astley Bridge , Blackrod, Farnworth, Heaton, Horwich, Tonge Moor and Westhoughton. Nationally, dying has become more expensive, according to data.
Earlier this year, annual figures revealed that the average cost of a simple funeral has reached a record £4,285, with one in five families struggling to pay. The cost of a simple funeral – which includes an attended burial or cremation, funeral director, doctor and celebrant fees, a coffin and limousine – has risen by 134% from £1,835 in 2004..
