DESPITE rises of 5.1 per cent in burial fees across the North-East, it has been revealed that Hexham residents are pounds up when it comes to burying their loved ones.

Research by Funeralbooker shows that across the region, the 5.1 per cent average hike in burial fees will see families forced to shell out an average of £1,612 on a burial.

But the research found that Hexham is one of the cheapest place for burials in the North-East, along with Morpeth and Blyth.

Here, fees come in at an average of £1,400, which is £540 less then the £1,940 average charged in Chester-le-Street and Sacriston.

Alison Kinghorn, a partner at All Seasons Independent Funeral Directors, based in both Prudhoe and Newcastle, said that prices in Hexham and Newcastle vary considerably.

She said a resident in Newcastle will pay £946 to purchase a grave whereas in Hexham it’s £589.

But the ‘standard charge’, applied to those who do not live within the catchment area of a parish, can send prices rocketing.

“If the funeral is for a family within the Hexham area, it’s great,” said Alison.

“But for people who have maybe lived in the Hexham area and then moved out for whatever reason, or want to be buried there because it’s a lovely cemetery, it starts to get more expensive and they are penalised for that.

“I can understand why it is done; a lot of people want to be buried in Hexham, it is such a beautiful and well-maintained cemetery and there is not always a lot of space.

“But in Newcastle if it’s for a non-resident, the price goes up to £1892, whereas in Hexham it’s £2651 – that’s a huge jump.”

Funeralbooker, a funeral comparison service, said this leaves North-East residents facing a postcode lottery, not only over the size of the increases – ranging from 0 per cent to 17 per cent – but also over how much they will have to pay.

Alison said that woodland burials were becoming increasingly popular, and while these could appear more expensive than traditional burials, the price for a woodland burial was inclusive – meaning that the burial casket, the grave marker stone and the digging and filling in of the grave were included in the cost.

Woodland burials are an environmentally-friendly option; only biodegradable coffins or shrouds of natural fibre can be used, and traditional headstones are replaced with a small marker, and a small tree can be planted at the head of the grave.

She added: “What people like is that families can still go and visit.

“When somebody is buried in a traditional cemetery, I think families feel they need to go there to maintain it, whereas with woodland they can go as often as they like but there is no maintenance. It’s very natural and I think eventually it will become very popular.”

In Northumberland, there are woodland burial sites in Hexham, Ponteland and Morpeth.

But for people in Tynedale who want a woodland burial and don’t live in Hexham, the prices jump even further. A woodland burial in Hexham, including the plot, the casket and the flat stone marker is £945, but for a non-resident it jumps to £3780, meaning residents of Hexham again get the best deal.

A funeral director based in the North Tyne said: “People have come to us and said we would like a woodland burial at Hexham, and when you say how much it is for a non-resident, they are put off. It is a lot of money. Prices across cemeteries differ quite a lot. They are decided by the local councils, but the Church of England has a set price in its churchyards.

“Some of them are just as well-kept as Hexham cemetery and people can choose to go down the biodegradable route by choosing a wicker coffin, if that’s what they want, without paying over £3,000 for a woodland burial.”

James Dunn, co-founder of Funeralbooker, said: “If meeting the cost of a funeral would be a struggle, then it might be worth taking out a pre-paid funeral plan, which will guarantee to meet your funeral director’s fees and will help meet the costs of disbursements.

“It’s also worth remembering that independent funeral directors typically offer better value for money and a more personal service than the big chains, so it’s definitely worth going online to shop around.”