A LOCAL stonemason has said he is in dispute over a £50 "administration fee" he claims Farnham Town Council is levying each time a headstone is cleaned in one of the cemeteries it administers.
Farnham man Andrew Raitt, who runs Aldershot-based Stonecrest, said he has been working in cemeteries administered by neighbouring district, borough, town and parish councils for more than 20 years and none of the others charges such a fee.
"Most councils feel they can't charge because of the sensitivity of people's feelings.
"To clean a memorial is about £55 to £60. In some cases the administration charge is more expensive than the work is."
Mr Raitt said he has no issue with the charge if repairs are involved, because clearly the work has to be checked afterwards.
"If it's just cleaning, then I don't see where there is a health and safety issue.
Mr Raitt said that he had written to the council asking how it had arrived at the decision and had a letter back saying the council would not enter into correspondence.
"All I get from the council is 'we are running cemeteries at a loss'. All cemeteries are run at a loss," he claimed.
The town council has been embroiled with various controversies over fees and its health and safety policies since it took over the cemeteries function from Waverley Borough Council.
Mr Raitt said he is also in dispute over its refusal to allow an elderly woman to have a cover slab placed on the kerbing at a grave in Hale Cemetery to avoid future maintenance worries.
"There's nothing out of the ordinary in doing that.
"They have got a lot of battles going on with different families. If this was another council they would allow it, but for some reason they have no flexibility and no discretion. They are far too rigid."
Farnham Town Council declined to discuss the issue saying "no comment".