Issue - meetings

This report is due to be pre-scrutinised at a meeting of the Budget Scrutiny working Group scheduled to take place on Monday 10^th January 2022.  Any recommendations on this subject will be reported for the consideration of the Executive Committee in a supplementary pack.

The Executive Director of Resources presented the Fees and Charges 2022/23 report for Members’ consideration.  Members were asked to note that the appendix to the report had been reissued in the Additional Papers 1 pack with slightly amended figures. 

The principle underpinning the report was that, in the absence of better information, fees and charges would be set at a level to achieve full cost recovery.  In general, this meant that it was proposed that the majority of fees and charges should increase by between 5 and 6 per cent, based on the best estimate by the Bank of England of the likely level of inflation by April 2022.

There were some exceptions, in terms of services where officers were not proposing to increase fees and charges.  This included the charge for the Garden Waste Collection service, as Officers had concluded that an increase at this time would not be commercially viable.  In addition, Officers were proposing no increases to the fees for the Dial a Ride, Lifeline and Shopmobility services, on the basis that these services were provided to some of the most vulnerable communities in the Borough.  There were also some cases where the increase was slightly over or under 5 or 6 per cent, which had occurred where officers were rounding the charge up or down.

The Portfolio Holder for Finance and Enabling welcomed the proposals detailed in the report.  However, Members were asked to note that inflation levels were difficult to predict and it was possible that this would be higher than 6 per cent by April 2022, which would impact on the Council’s financial position.

RECOMMENDED that

1)         Council approve all of the fees and charges; and

2)         Council agree that all fees and charges are charged commencing 1^st April 2022.