A NEW type of funeral has been given the go-ahead in Wrexham.

Wrexham registrar Helen Hedley told a meeting of the council’s executive there was an “untapped demand” for civil funerals in the area.

Currently the area’s register office offers only a fully religious service or a non-religious humanist service.

Now they hope to bridge the gap between the two and charge a proposed fee of £110 for a civil funeral.

A member of staff has been trained to perform civil funerals and has been accredited with the Association of Civil Celebrants.

A report to councillors said: “In preparation for the commencement of civil funerals, informal discussions have been held with local funeral directors, local clergy and staff at Wrexham Crematorium to determine the details of the service.

“Their collective estimate of number of clients per month was approximately six.”

Charges are also set to be introduced for people to use different services provided by registrars in the county, such as family history checks, to increase revenue.

A report to the executive said the council would start charging for a nationality checking service aimed at those who want to become British citizens.

The executive report said: “The Registrar General for England and Wales has recently revised the level of statutory fees charged by the Registration Service.

“This follows a fundamental review to establish the true cost of services provided by the Registration Service in performance of their statutory functions.”