Agenda item

The Committee gave consideration to a report detailing the proposed fees and charges for 2023/24, including parking charges for Christmas events in Gainsborough and Market Rasen. The Chairman highlighted a number of appendices relating to the item that contained commercially sensitive information and reminded Members that should they wish to discuss those appendices, the Committee would need to enter closed session.

 

Note:              Councillor J. Oliver left the Chamber at 8:12pm

 

The Business Support Team Leader explained that the report detailed the proposed fees and charges to be implemented from 1 April 2023, for services within this committee, contained within the report at Appendices A and B. Additionally, the appendices which provided service specific detail around performance and demand were included within the report at appendices 1 to 16.

 

Consideration had been given to total cost recovery, benchmarking data, and team manager knowledge of the market when proposing fees. The budget implications included in the report reflected both the impact of proposed amendments to fees, and the forecast demand.

 

Members heard it was proposed to apply the inflation rate of 6% (which was less than half the level of current inflation). This reflected the impact of the current year pay award on service provision, with employee costs and officer time being the main cost driver for many of the proposed fees, whilst ensuring services remained accessible to all residents given the current cost of living crisis.

 

This approach also reflected the feedback from the budget consultation event where the majority of respondents felt that a cap less than inflation should be applied for 23/24, followed by a year where inflationary costs were fully reflected in the fees and charges review.

 

Inflation had been added to the majority of non-statutory fees in order to achieve total cost recovery, except where fees had already been approved for 23/24 (such as green waste collections), or to ensure charges remained comparable to benchmarking data across the sector (as with the crematorium with an average increase of 3.2%).

 

Those services where no increase had been proposed were:

 

• Car parks
• Markets, 
• Bulky waste, and the
• Trinity arts centre for theatre hire

 

There were two service areas where the income budgets had been amended to reflect updated business plans which had been presented to committee earlier in the year, these were:

 

• The Crematorium and,
• Markets
• Car parking permit demand had also fallen and it was proposed to reduce the income budget to reflect this. This reduction would be considered as part of the budget setting process for 23/24 but was included here to highlight that there was an expected pressure on income in this area.

 

The net impact of the F&C review for this Committee was an increase in income of £6,100 in 23/24, rising to £55,100 in 27/28. The significant increase in 27/28 was due to the forecast demand for planning fee applications in that year.

 

Note:              Councillor J. Oliver returned to the Chamber at 8:15pm

 

There were no new fees proposed in this report, other than the inclusion of a day of free parking at Christmas.

 

Members had, in recent years, been presented with a separate report to request a day of free parking at Gainsborough and Market Rasen to support Christmas events. This had now been included within this report, requesting approval for the current financial year, and each year up to and including 2025. This covered the period of the current parking strategy, and a further review of this would be included in the next parking strategy, due in 2025.

 

Members were asked to make recommendation to Corporate Policy and Resources Committee for approval of the proposed fees, and also to approve a free day of parking at Gainsborough and Market Rasen to support Christmas events, for the 4 years, 2022 to 2025.

 

The Chairman thanked the Officer and invited comments and questions from the Committee.

 

A Member of the Committee requested that further consideration be given to the car parking charges across the district, commenting that the offer in Market Rasen was not equitable to the offer in Gainsborough. He moved an amendment that car parking charges in Gainsborough be brought in line with those in Market Rasen. In addition, the Member noted that the number of fixed penalty notices issued for parking infringements appeared to have noticeably increased, and moved a further amendment for the cost of such notices to be reduced by 50%. He argued that the parking charges, and increased number of fixed penalty notices being issued, would be to the detriment of the town, with visitors and shoppers preferring to go elsewhere.

 

The Section 151 Officer highlighted that the Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) had contained a budget gap in 2023/24 of £1.4million, with no solution to resolve at that point. In referring to inflationary figures as a result of the current economic landscape, this would increase to an assumed budget gap of £1.8million. The delayed Budget announcement from Government, due to take place on 17 November, would detail settlement figures for Local Authorities, but with the Prime Minister using phrases such as ‘eye watering cuts’, there was no confidence that Local Authorities would receive sufficient funding from Central Government. It was explained to the Committee that, without further exploration of the financial implications of the proposed amendments, it would not be prudent for the Committee to make a decision. Further work could be undertaken to understand the implications of such a proposal, however, as a point to note, it was highlighted that bringing equity across the parking charges in the district would not cover associated costs.

 

The Member of the Committee expressed his dissatisfaction at the perceived delayed receipt of information regarding parking costs, and commented that he believed some Members of the Committee, and the Council, experienced difficulties accessing relevant committee papers. This was rebutted by Officers however it was offered to seek resolution for those who had such concerns, outside of the meeting.

 

The Chairman highlighted to the Committee that the Parking Strategy had been approved at a previous meeting and the recommendations in front of the Committee at this stage were regarding the provision of free parking for Christmas events in Gainsborough and Market Rasen.

 

A Member of the Committee supported the comments against the increased number of fixed penalty notices issued, reiterating that many residents of West Lindsey would choose to go to, for example, Scunthorpe rather than Gainsborough, particularly given the free parking available in certain areas of Scunthorpe. She indicated her support for the Member’s second amendment, that being to reduce the cost of the fixed penalty notices, and, on further clarification, went on to second both proposals.

 

Members of the Committee sought further details regarding the cost implications of amending the car parking offer in Gainsborough to match that on offer in Market Rasen, as well as the implications of other alternatives, such as removal of charges completely. It was reiterated by the Section 151 Officer that those implications were not available instantly however Officers would undertake to complete those detailed costings and further breakdown of tickets issued. In response to a question relating to further discussions taking place at the upcoming meeting of the Corporate Policy and Resources Committee, it was confirmed that, with additional information available, Members of that Committee would be able to debate further.

 

A Member of the Committee summarised what he understood to be the proposed amendments and voiced his concerns regarding both. He noted the previously approved Parking Strategy and argued that the report at that stage had not raised any concerns regarding the parking offers across the two towns. He reiterated content of that report regarding usage data and repeated concerns regarding the financial impact of the proposals. It was recognised that there would need to be further work undertaken in order to fully illustrate the financial implications.

 

In response to the financial concerns, a Member of the Committee suggested that there needed to be greater focus on the cost implications for the wider economic community, for example the impact of losing return visitors vs the cost of increasing free parking in Gainsborough, rather than simply focusing on balance sheets.

 

The Director of Planning, Regeneration and Communities revisited the content of the Parking Strategy paper, highlighted that strategy was evidence based, assessing various aspects such as short stay and long stay parking, geographical assessments and comparisons with similar locations and offers. She also reminded the Committee that the strategy, and indeed parking offers across the district, had been shaped in line with climate change strategies, recognising that there needed to be a balanced viewpoint, particularly when considering the rural nature of the district and limitations of public transport provision. She highlighted there had been significant discussions when the strategy was presented to the Committee in July 2022 and it had been accepted and approved by the Committee at that point.

 

There was further debate against the current arrangements, with the proposer of the amendments stating a significantly worse scenario in Gainsborough than had been presented to the Committee in July, and reiterating his stance that there needed to be greater opportunity to discuss matters and make parking provisions equitable.

 

The Chairman brought discussions to a close and asked the Member of the Committee to repeat his amendments, as well as to confirm which recommendation of the report he wished to amend. Based on clarification of the proposals, the Member subsequently proposed that there be an additional recommendation, consisting of two parts, covering both the parking charges in Gainsborough and Market Rasen, and that fixed penalty notices be subject to a 50% reduction of charge amount.

 

This proposal was duly seconded and, having also been proposed and seconded, a recorded vote was taken.

 

On being put to the vote, votes were cast in the following manner:

 

For: Councillors Bunney, Clews, Darcel, Oliver, J. Snee, M. Snee and Young (7)

 

Against: Councillors Bierley, Devine, Ellis, McCartney and McNeill (5)

 

Abstain: Nil (0)

 

With a total of 7 votes for, 5 votes against and no abstentions, the proposal was carried and it was therefore

 

RESOLVED that the following be an additional recommendation to the report (recommendation 4):

 

“That the current free parking period in Gainsborough be extended to two hours, in line with Market Rasen, to establish parity across the district, and, that fixed penalty notices have a 50% reduction across all current charges.”

 

Having had a proposer and seconder for the recommendations contained within the report, the Chairman was ready to take the vote. At the request of a Member of the Committee, recommendations 1 to 3 were to be taken en bloc, with recommendation 4 to be considered separately.

 

Again, a proposal for a recorded vote, across all recommendations, was made and seconded.

 

On recommendations 1 – 3 being put to the vote, votes were cast in the following manner:

 

For: Councillors Bierley, Bunney, Clews, Darcel, Devine, Ellis, McCartney, McNeill, Oliver, J. Snee, M. Snee and Young (12)

 

Against: Nil (0)

 

Abstain: Nil (0)

 

With a total of 12 votes for, no votes against and no abstentions, the proposal was carried unanimously and it was therefore

 

            RESOLVED that:

 

a) Members recommend the proposed fees and charges for 2023/2024 as detailed, to the Corporate Policy and Resources Committee for approval; and

 

b) Members recommend the requests for free car parking on 18/11/2022 (Gainsborough) and 10/12/2022 (Market Rasen), when Christmas Events are to be held, to the Corporate Policy and Resources Committee for approval (Section 4.1); and

 

c) Members recommend the request for 1 day of free parking in Gainsborough and Market Rasen when Christmas Events are to be held, for the years 2023, 2024 and 2025, to the Corporate Policy and Resources Committee for approval (Section 4.1). A further review to be included in the next parking strategy, due in 2025.

 

On recommendation 4 being put to the vote, votes were cast in the following manner:

 

For: Councillors Bunney, Clews, Darcel, Devine, Oliver, J. Snee, M. Snee and Young (8)

 

Against: Councillors Bierley, Ellis, McCartney and McNeill (4)

 

Abstain: Nil (0)

 

With a total of 8 votes for, 4 votes against and no abstentions, the proposal was carried and it was therefore

 

Resolved that (it be recommended to the Corporate Policy and Resources Committee) that the current free parking period in Gainsborough be extended to two hours, in line with Market Rasen, to establish parity across the district, and, that fixed penalty notices have a 50% reduction across all current charges.