A council is to increase the amount it charges for cremations by 7% in a move described as “very unfair” by opponents.

Adult cremations, which include use of a chapel for 30 minutes, will cost £730 plus VAT in 2019/20 if the plans are accepted by full council next month – a year-on-year rise of 7%.

The fee for a 20-minute cremation ceremony before 10am will rise by 4% to £520 plus VAT.

Cllr Edward Jaye-Jones (Ind) asked cabinet members on Thursday night: “We’re questioning the increases on adult cremations. We have a monopoly on this service.

“With the number of years of austerity we’ve endured, is it justified for us to increase the charges by almost 30% from 2016 given the fact that we’ve got a very, very low wage scale in Thanet? If 29.6% of the residents don’t have any form of transport, we find it very unfair.”

Other crematorium charges – including service overrun penalties and DVD recordings of a service – are all set to increase by at least 10%.

In response, Thanet District Council’s deputy chief executive Tim Willis said: “There is competition and the prices are set on existing market rates. Our costs do increase year-on-year, and these prices reflect that.”

The charge for cremations of those under the age of 18 is not set to rise, but Cllr Peter Campbell (Lab) called for the council to think about removing it.

He said: “At the moment you only charge £50 (for a child under the age of 12), so how much money do you actually glean from child cremation?

“It’s a tragedy that a family loses a child under 18 – how much money would the council lose if they were to waive that fee entirely? If it isn’t a great deal of money, then I would ask you to consider doing that.”

Council officers said they would look into Cllr Campbell’s question and get back to him.