THE cost of dying could be set to go up as part of more savings proposals at cash-strapped City of York Council.

The authority is going through its annual budget process and all departments are looking to make substantial savings.

Potential cut-backs for the 2008/09 budget in neighbourhood services, children's services and leisure and culture have now been published.

Total savings proposals of £725,000 in neighbourhood services are being proposed - including a five per cent increase in crematorium fees, which save the council £60,000.

It would see the charge for a cremation increase by £27 from £536 to £563. Potential cuts could also include a reduction of the amount of "gum busting" to remove chewing gum from the streets, achieving a saving of £17,000, or closing St George's Car Park toilets, saving £20,000.

A £15,000 saving is proposed by increasing trade waste charges at Hazel Court by 14 per cent to £80 a tonne for non-recyclable and £40 a tonne for recyclable waste.

A further £130,000 could be saved through a reduction in the amount of waste being sent to landfill and re-tendering the waste processing contract.

The council will need to allocate £450,000 due to an increase in landfill tax, which is levied by the Government for waste that the authority sends to landfill rather than recycling, and £243,000 will also be required to fund the kerbside recycling collection vehicles following the end of a period of government grant.

Councillors and members of the public will also be asked to consider spending £160,000 to start a recycling pilot in The Groves, and allocating £30,000 to improve the city's recycling.

In children's services, savings could include £24,000 through a reduction in the number of family support workers who work with children in need, and £23,000 by charging schools for a counselling service for pupils.

A further £33,000 could be saved by reducing the spending on school support staff training.

Pressures on the budget include an additional £100,000 needed to cover the cost of caring for the increasing number of children in foster care in the city and £150,000 to pay for increasing transport costs for young people with special needs.

Councillors and members of the public will also be asked for their views on a number of budget options for the directorate as part of the council's budget consultation. The budget is scheduled to go to the ruling executive on February 12 and the whole council on February 21.


* Plans to close a crèche as part of council cutbacks have been shelved. In the budget plans it was initially proposed the crèche at Edmund Wilson swimming pool be closed. The proposal now is the crèche operates from 9am till 1pm.