Agenda item

The Financial Services Manager presented the revised Fees and Charges for approval to take effect from 1 April 2017.

The review of fees and charges this year had been more robust than in previous years, combining the benchmarking of charges, previously undertaken with an assessment of the level of cost recovery and market demand where information was available.

Although full cost recovery would be the customary approach, this would not be appropriate in all circumstances and the amount charged would need to be a reflection of many factors including Council objectives, market conditions, the cost of collection and the potential impact on customers.

As a minimum, inflationary increases would normally have been applied where possible with the exception of those set by statute.  Most non statutory charges have been uplifted by inflation of 2.2%, other than the following;

No change - Annual subscriptions to committee reports and photocopying

 Cost recovery - Property name changes

 No change - Room Hire and Planning documentations

 No change – Court Costs at cost recovery

 Small change – Building Control to cost recovery

 No change – Car Parking strategy approved in year to be reviewed 2017

 Cost recovery – Licensing

 No change – Markets (under review)

 New charge – Strategic Housing enforcement

 Move to cost recovery – Burials

 Price on application – Trinity Arts

 Cost recovery/benchmarked – Second Green Bin

 No Change – wheeled bins

Full details were contained within the appendices attached to the report.

The Prosperous Communities Committee had agreed the proposed Fees and Charges set out in appendices F-Q.

Note: Councillor David Cotton declared a personal and non-pecuniary interest in the item as Springthorpe, which was designated for an increase in burial fees, was in his parish.

Debate ensued in particular regarding the significant increase in burial fees, to bring them more into line with other authorities, and it was felt that this should have been a gradual increase over the years.  It was suggested that it should be a step change of 65% over each of the next two years rather than 130% in one year.  It was also felt that there should be no charge at all for burials of children under 12 years of age.

Further matters raised were; that Gainsborough market should be run on an entrepreneurial basis and not subsidised by Council Tax payers.  Reference was also made to the parking charges in Market Rasen and it was questioned what income gap had been caused by the delay in applying charges.  This was confirmed as being £30k.

It was proposed and seconded that those proposed fees and charges set out in Appendix H relating to burials, as in the table below, be removed in order for additional information to be assessed to understand the possible impact of not increasing the fees as proposed. 

The implications of this would be incorporated into the Revenue Base Budget report.  On being voted upon the amendment was AGREED.

RESOLVED that:

a)    it be recommended to Council for approval the proposed Fees and Charges as detailed in Appendix A to E

b)    it be recommended to Council for approval the proposed Fees and Charges as recommended by Prosperous Communities Committee and detailed at Appendix F to Q, with the exception of the section of Appendix H relating to burials (as above), the implications of which would be built into the Revenue Base Budget report submitted to the February Corporate Policy and Resources meeting. The remainder of Appendix H be approved with the rest of the Fees and Charges.