CREMATION fees in Gwent will increase by 7.5 per cent in the next financial year.

The price increase, agreed by the Greater Gwent Crematorium joint committee on Wednesday, will see the standard cremation fee rise from £770 to £828 from April 1, 2020.

The increase, which will generate £125,000 additional income, shared between the five Gwent councils, was requested by Newport City Council last year, saying it would bring fees in line with other areas.

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The nearby Langstone Vale Crematorium, for example, charges £815 as a standard fee, while nationwide only 48 crematoria have lower fees than Gwent, out of 299.

Meirion Rushworth, Newport council’s chief financial officer, said the proposed rise would take fees to a similar level to others in the area, adding it “does not seem too unreasonable.”

Cllr Steven Evans also backed the proposal as the best way forward amid ‘uncertainty’.

“With all the uncertainty at the moment we can’t predict what is going to happen,” he said.

The 7.5 per cent rise,  which only applies to adult cremations, follows an increase of 12.5 per cent agreed last year.

The increase in fees also comes alongside significant reductions in the number of cremations in Gwent, averaging 50 per month fewer than last year.

Last year there were 2,352 cremations, a fall from 2,850 the previous year.

Numbers are expected to continue to fall, with 2,158 predicted in this financial year and 2,000 in the following year.

Joanne Hazelwood, assistant accountant on the committee, said if numbers fall any further an increase of 8.5 per cent would be needed to generate the target income.

At the committee meeting, Cllr Evans asked whether there had been a fall in deaths this year.

Paul Dundon, the superintendent registrar, said funeral providers Dignity Group had reported a fall of five per cent in the first six months of this year, and that funeral directors have also reportedly said it is “very quiet.”

A council report warned further rises in cremation fees after this year may not be sustainable.

“The ongoing sustainability of this (increase) cannot be guaranteed and the committee may well need to approve lower surpluses in the future,” it says.

Gwent’s crematorium was the 33rd busiest in the UK last year out of 299, down from 14th out of 290.

However it was still the busiest single chapel crematorium, and the second busiest in the country, carrying out 10.5 per cent of the 23,154 cremations in Wales.