District councillors have expressed concerns that funeral costs across Warwick look set to be put up.

Last week Warwick District Council's (WDC) cabinet unanimously backed a report which recommended the costs of a number of services be increased..

Now set to be considered by the full council next week, the proposed price hikes could see the cost of a grave in Warwick district rise from £2,084 (plus VAT) to £2,240 (plus VAT) - a 7.49 per cent increase.

Meanwhile the cost of a 'standard' child's grave and of a grave for cremated remains look set to go up from £925 (plus VAT) to £1,010 (plus VAT) - a 9.19 per cent difference.

And while some funeral costs - including charges for memorials - are set to remain the same, councillors were concerned the council may be pricing itself out of the market.

"We are already the highest in the West Midlands and Warwickshire and I wonder if this will deter people," Cllr Judith Falp said at last week's cabinet meeting.

"There are lots of private services now, will this deter people from using our services?"

The Whitnash councillor asked if WDC could measure whether there was any impact on the number of cremations year on year.

Meanwhile Cllr Andrew Milton fed back discussions from the council's budget review group.

"The budget review group had concerns about raising fees and charges at the crematorium," he explained. 

"We discussed that for a little while, but we were satisfied by the rationale behind the decision."

In response to the concerns, Cllr Will Roberts, portfolio holder for neighbourhood, welcomed the request to monitor usage of local bereavement services.

"We are expensive when it comes to where we are in the market, that is taken into account," he explained. 

"But there has been a lot of consultation, and looking at the marketplace, looking at what other crematoriums are doing and offering. 

"And we still think we are competitive. 

"It is not just about the pricing but it is about what we offer as part of the service."

The report also backed price hikes for parking charges across the district, as WDC looks to increase its income from discretionary services.

In December 2020 the council set a target of increasing income from fees and charges by 15 per cent by 2023/4. Then dropping to 10 per cent for the years after.

However, WDC is now proposing to only increase revenue by 7.52 per cent.

Cllr Jonathan Chilvers, portfolio holder for resources, explained this was due to a variety of factors and said he did not think it was "fair" to put up prices for some services.