Agenda item

(Director of Finance & ICT) To consider the attached report (FPM-018-2012/13).

The Assistant Director (Accountancy) presented a report on the fees and charges to be levied by the Council in 2013/14 and what, if any, scope there was to increase particular charges.

The Assistant Director reported that, as part of the budget setting process, the level of fees and charges were considered for the forthcoming financial year. The recent Medium Term Financial Strategy had identified the need for General Fund net savings of £250,000 in 2013/14 and any additional income from Fees and Charges would assist in achieving that target. The Retail Price Index (RPI) in September had been 2.6% and this had been used as a guide for any proposed increase in fees and charges.

The Assistant Director stated that it was proposed to increase the fees and charges within the Office of the Deputy Chief Executive for services such as New Horizons, Sports Development and Lifewalks by 2.6%. Within the Corporate Support Services Directorate, Land Charge income was still uncertain following the introduction of Local Land Charges (Amendment) Rules in 2010. The charge for a full search was based on the costs incurred to provide the information and the current costs were broadly in line with the fee charged. The Account was in deficit though, mainly due to personal searches now being free of charge. MOT income was subject to a maximum charge set by the Vehicle Operating Service Agency; the Council’s fee was currently below this level but it was felt that this had generated additional trade. It was proposed to retain the fees for Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Operators and Vehicle Licences at their current level, whilst other fees within Licensing would be increased where appropriate to recover more of the cost of provision.

The Cabinet Committee noted that the fees for Development Control were set by the Government and a 15% increase had already been announced. The pre-application charges that were applied to major applications were proposed to be left at their current levels as the budgeted income had already been exceeded for this year. The levels of the Building Control fees were felt to be reasonable and the account was expected to break even, so no increase was proposed. Within the Environment & Street Scene Directorate, it was proposed to increase various Environmental Health and Waste Management charges, and particularly for bulk waste collections as the contract price to the Council increased annually. The Council also needed to ensure that a Trade Waste service was available if required. Sita would carry out the collection and a 50p increase for both businesses and schools had been proposed. Car Parking fees had not been included as a separate report on the subject was expected.

Finally, for the Housing Directorate, the Assistant Director informed the Cabinet Committee that the majority of fees and charges had been increased by 2.6%. However, in view of the current economic conditions, the Housing Portfolio Holder had proposed that a number of the housing-related fees and charges be retained at their current levels and these had been highlighted in the attached schedule.

The Portfolio Holder for Safer, Greener and Highways announced that it was being proposed to retain the car parking fees throughout the District at their current levels in 2013/14, for the benefit of residents and traders due to the current economic climate.

In respect of the MOT centre, the Deputy Chief Executive stated that it was located near to a number of car dealerships and had attracted a high level of trade from these up to now. The fee levied by the MOT centre was approximately in line with other nearby centres and the difference would be no more than £5 per test.

The Portfolio Holder for Finance & Technology concluded that careful consideration had been given to the level of fees and charges for 2013/14, and the Finance & Performance Management Scrutiny Panel had broadly supported the proposals at its meeting last week.

Recommended:

(1)        That the use of the September Retail Price Index level (2.6%) as a guide for any proposed increases to the Council’s fees and charges for 2013/14 be agreed;

(2)        That the proposed fees and charges for 2013/14, as set out in the Appendices attached to the report, be approved; and

(3)        That the retention of fees and charges in relation to Council-owned car parks at their current levels for 2013/14 be approved.

Reasons for Decision:

To agree the level of fees and charges for 2013/14 as part of the annual budget setting process.

Other Options Considered and Rejected:

In areas where the Council had discretion on the level of fees and charges it could set, there were a number of other possible percentage increases that could be applied, which would help to reduce the level of savings required in order to set an acceptable budget. However, the proposals presented to the Cabinet Committee were considered to be the most appropriate at the current time.