THE cost of buying two new cremators for York Crematorium has risen to more than £700,000.

A City of York Council budget report in February said £500,000 would be spent on the new cremators.

But it has now emerged that the equipment is more expensive than the council thought - and the cremators will cost £713,084.

A report prepared for the executive says the £500,000 estimate was based on 2012 prices and adds: “The council last procured cremators in 2012, since this time the market has contracted and only two major suppliers are in the market place, one being the existing provider with whom the council has terminated the contract.

“The costs are for the procurement of the new cremators, but also include the decommissioning of the existing cremators and removal, the fitting of two new cremators into the existing space along with filtration kit and any alterations required to the building.”

An earlier report said there is a “real risk” that York’s crematorium could close for more than three months if upgrade works do not go ahead.

It said that there have been “ongoing issues” with the existing cremators.

A further £250,000 is set to go towards creating a better crematorium waiting room at the facility in Bishopthorpe.