THE COST of burials in Blaenau Gwent will increase from June after councillors approved proposals.

At an executive committee meeting on Wednesday, councillors agreed to increase resident fees of graves and burials including the cost of a burial in a new grave which will rise by £55 to £605.

The previous cost of a burial in a new grave was set at £550 in April 2009.

A grave for a baby under one year will now stand at £451 for residents, up from £410 while the cost of reopening a grave for residents will increase from £290 to £319.

The new resident charges will come into force on June 1. All non-resident charges will stay the same.

These are £1,120 for a new grave, £840 for a baby grave and £580 to reopen a grave.

The rise comes to keep in line with annual service cost rises and budget cuts.

Due to Blaenau Gwent being the third lowest-priced Welsh local authority when it comes to bereavement services and fees, councillors agreed it was reasonable to increase rates while still keeping the charges below the average for neighbouring authorities.

Meanwhile councillors also decided to increase the charges of hiring a committee room and IT equipment at the civic centre.

The cost of hiring rooms will increase by two per cent including the cost of hiring the council chamber which will now be £13.70 per hour, up from £13.40 per hour.

The cost of hiring equipment including laptops and projectors will also be increased by two per cent to external parties but will be reduced by 35 per cent to internal parties to encourage more internal use.