|
News that the Council is to
increase the cost of burial provision in the city by an inflation
busting 9% has been condemned by opposition leader Cllr Keith
Wakefield.
All types of burials will be hit
with the substantial rise, which will provide Council coffers with
an additional £95,000. In addition the cost of
all cremations will also increase by 5%, providing an additional
£130,000 per annum.
Cllr Wakefield has questioned the
increase, believing it has not been matched by the level of service
provided by the Council on cemetery provision in the last four
years.
Councillor
Keith Wakefield (Leader of Leeds Labour Group)
said:
I find it appalling that once again
the administration have slapped a substantial price increase on a
very important service provided by the Council. This comes just
months after an above inflation rise in leisure centre costs and a
massive 47% increase in child care
fees.
This 9% rise is even more
staggering when you consider how abysmally the administration has
managed the issue of cemetery provision over the last four
years.
This is characterised by the fact
that a cemeteries working group have not met for months and many of
our facilities continue to be poorly maintained and blighted by
anti-social behavior and vandalism.
Not for the first time, I believe
the people of our city have to pay more out of their pocket because
of this administration’s failure to identify a suitable way forward
on a key issue.
| 
Labour Leader condemns 9% rise in burial costs
