BURIAL and cremation charges could rise but car parking fees will stay the same, if the draft city council budget is approved.

The proposed list of new fees and charges made by Worcester City Council for the services it will provide over the next financial year will be discussed at the authority’s Resources and Policy Committee on Tuesday evening at the Guildhalll

There has been an effort to keep prices the same and, where there is a proposed increase, they are relatively modest.

There are proposed increases in charges for burials and cremations. A single burial plot could rise in cost by £20 from £860 to £880 and a double grave goes up by the same amount to £1,040.

An adult cremation might increase in cost from £435 to £450.

With car parking charges, one of the few areas where cash-strapped district councils can make a lot of money, many Worcester motorists may be surprised to learn that the city council does not propose to increase its fees for the car parks it runs.

The report by the council’s finance department shows that it’s cheapest car parks are about half the price of two private car parks in the city, Crowngate and Cathedral Square – but its most expensive, Copenhagen Street, Providence Street and Cornmarket, at £3.60 for up to three hours, are more expensive than their privately-run counterparts.

Councillor Mike Johnson, who chairs the Communities Committee, said: “Increasing parking charges could have an impact on things like the economic development of Worcester. We don’t want to discourage shoppers coming to the city by increasing the charges too much.”

Cllr Johnson added: “Overall the policy is generally to make charges for the services we provide directly that reflect our costs. We are not obliged to make a ‘profit’ and in some cases we are not allowed to for some services. So we just nudge up charges where the costs to the council have also gone up.”

Councillor Louis Stephen, who chairs the Resources and Policy Committee, said: “There is a policy of trying to keep fees as low as possible.”

Residents who pay to have their garden waste collected by the council will see an increase, assuming the new scheme is approved. It will cost £57.50, an increase of £1.50, annually for the service. That’s the second most expensive rate in the region, with Malvern Hills District Council charging £65 per year for their service.

There’s also an increase in bulky waste collection, such as fridges, freezers, sofas and cookers, but the increases are all less than £1, depending on the service.

Weddings at The Commandery remain the same, costing between £950 and £2,000 depending on the package a happy couple wishes to pay for.

But if their hearts are set on getting married in the Guildhall, they may have to pay more. There is a £50 increase in the fee to hire all of the venue for an entire day, from £2,140 to £2,190.

There will be no increase in hiring an allotment, nor for a fishing permit, while the cost of hiring a football pitch goes up by 60p or £1 depending on the pitch.

And if you want a skip-load of ‘core wood’ delivered within the city boundary? Down by 25 per cent from £200 to £150.

Worcester City councillors will decide whether to approve the budget at the full council meeting on February 20.