Accrington Crematorium is being fitted with ‘large cremators’ - to cope with the growing number of ‘larger people’.
Relatives of people who have died, who were too large to be accommodated by Accrington Crematorium, have previously had to move cremations to Burnley.
However in future families will soon be able to use Accrington Crematorium off Burnley Road once a refurbishment scheme is completed.
It comes as council bosses have confirmed that cremation fees will be increasing in 2018/19 by £25 to cover ‘inflationary costs’.
Coun Judith Addison questioned leader Miles Parkinson about the ‘delicate matter’ of large coffins at a recent budget scrutiny meeting.
She said: “I have heard in the past that at our crematorium we don’t cater for larger people.
“A lot of people these days are larger and need larger coffins. I understand that at Burnley there is provision for that and some funerals are having to go out of the borough for that reason.
“Is that still so, or is ours being updated now?”
Coun Parkinson responded: “To deal with that delicate matter the crematorium is being refurbished and it will have larger cremators to cater for that necessity because in the past, due to the size of the coffin, that’s been catered for over in Burnley. “We will be able to cater for that because of the upgrades to the crematorium and cremators so that won’t be the case in the future.”
Fees for cremations will go up from £620 to £645 this year to cover inflationary charges surrounding staffing costs and equipment and grounds maintenance.
Blackburn with Darwen currently charge £675 and Burnley charge £672.
Hyndburn council said they have invested over £1 million on crematorium facilities over the past five years and ‘remain the cheapest in Lancashire’.
Coun Ken Moss, Hyndburn council’s cabinet member for cemeteries and crematoria, said: “I am proud to say that Hyndburn council charges less for cremations than any other crematorium in Lancashire and we’re investing all the time to provide a better service for grieving families. We are complimented regularly on how well we maintain the cemetery and crematorium and our dog warden has reduced the number of fouling incidents considerably.”
The council are predicting an extra £27,500 income from the crematorium over the next 12 months.
