Marriage and burial costs set for price hike

When you are planning a marriage you are required under law to give notice to a registrar and complete a Marriage Notice Form.

Now the cost of those notices are set for a 50% hike, as part of Scottish Borders Council cost-saving measures.

Across-the-board savings are needed in the council’s fees and charges in order to balance the budget, as the local authority has pledged to save its frontline services in the face of increased costs.

As part of the budget process a number of increases were endorsed when full council met this week, with most capped at around 5%.

However, the cost of registering a marriage or civil partnership is to increase from £30 to £45.

Based on the estimate of 335 couples registering their nuptials the increase would generate £5,025.

The cost of registering a religious marriage is also increasing by 43%, from £70 to £100, netting a further £7,950, based on 265 couples choosing to tie the knot.

Meanwhile, some burial costs are also to increase.

The charge for an adult interment will rise by 5%, from £993 to £1,043, generating £22,659 on the assumption of 581 such ceremonies each year.

And the fee for a woodland burial will rise by 5.1%, from £899 to £944. Based on 221 such burials that will result in increased income of £9,945.

Significant increases have also been endorsed in the Early Learning Childcare sector for those parents who do not receive funding to cover the costs.

The non-funded childcare fee per hour rises from £4 to £5.50 – a 37.5% hike that will generate £3,750 and the non-funded fee per day (8-9 hours) goes up by the same percentage, from £32 to £44, generating £16,800.

However, the price of school meals in primary schools have been frozen at £2.40.

The cost of meals at homes provided to 40,000 people across the region are to rise by 5% per meal, from the current £3.50 to £3.68 from April – generating £7,000.