The cost of West Lothian council services – from bulky uplifts to burial charges – is set to rise by an average of up to five per cent from April.

Councillors will meet in Livingston on Tuesday, February 25, to set this year’s revenue and capital budget.

They will be asked to approve increases to a range of discretionary fees likely to bring in an extra £289,000, as the council looks to close a £9.9 million budget gap.

Registration services could see increases generating £12,000 for council coffers. These include the cost of registry office weddings rising from £225 to £266 per ceremony through the week and from £312 to £427 – with guests – on a Saturday.

Interment fees could rise from £907.04 to £1,020.04 for adults, with costs for cremated remains rising from £220 to £234.

placeholder image — Interment fees could rise from £907.04 to £1,020.04 for adults, with costs for cremated remains rising from £220 to £234.

Naming services and renewal of vows ceremonies could rise from £116 to £188 Monday to Friday in a registry office and in approved venues from £245 through the week to £288. There is no planned increase in registration of births and deaths.

The cost of burials could rise, with interment fees rising from £907.04 to £1,020.04 for adults. Interment fees for cremated remains are planned to rise from £220 to £234. There are no charges for children.

As already highlighted, the council proposes to lift the costs of bulky uplifts for five items from £38 to £50. This will bring in £49,000.

This increase would move the financial position for this discretionary service closer to full cost recovery, but the service would still require some subsidy.

On the basis of a similar five item uplift service, the council’s current charge of £38.59 is the 16th highest of the 31 councils which charge for bulky uplifts. Moving to a charge of £50 would exceed the current average charge of £41.91 and would move the council to ninth highest, based on 2024/25 charges.

The income generated through the sale of lairs and interment fees does not offset the full operating costs of the service, with the cemetery service heavily subsidised.

While the council has a statutory responsibility to provide a burial service, it has discretion to set its own charges. It is proposed to increase cemetery charges for the sale of lairs and interment fees to a charge where the service operates at a reduced subsidy level.

An increase of 20 per cent in 2025/26 would generate additional income of around £65,000 and decrease the subsidy to around £102,000.

Officers propose that the council would move towards a full cost recovery model, through above inflation increases in the years beyond 2025/26. The sale of lairs is proposed to rise from £1,069 to £1,140, and cremation lairs from £426 to £454.

New charges for temporary tenancies, starting at £145 a week for a one bedroom property, have already been introduced following a decision in January. Until then the council had met the cost of temporary tenancies out of its own budgets.

Across libraries, swimming pools and partnership centres, charges largely remain static.

A report to the Corporate Policy and Resources PDSP highlighted: “Despite an increase in core grant, the council has a budget gap before savings of £9.9 million in 2025/26 and £20.9 million over the three years to 2027/28.”