Issue - items at meetings - Fees and Charges 2010/11

To determine the proposed fees and charges for 2010/11.

(Report attached)

RESOLVED that

1) other than in cases where:-

a) fees or charges are statutory;

b) fees and charges are set externally (for example under the Model Scheme of Charges for Building Control fees & charges);

c) the Council has delegated authority for Officers to vary fees and charges to take account of various circumstances; or

d) fees and charges are established under separate processes, for example the setting of Taxi Fares, or service charges set to recover actual costs

the proposed fees and charges for 2010/11, where for each Service area/Directorate they achieve an overall increase of at least 2% in income budgets and the fees and charges proposals have been agreed with the relevant Portfolio Holders, the proposed fees and charges for 2010/11, as listed in the appendices to the report, be approved; and

RECOMMENDED that

2) in cases where fees and charges for 2010/11 have not been increased by an overall 2% as detailed in Appendix H attached to the report, the proposed fees and charges for 2010/11, as listed in the appendices to the report, be approved; and

3) in the case of the Home Support Service detailed in Appendix F, it be RESOLVED that

the charge for the service be increased by 2%, as per the budget preparation guidelines, to £10.50 per week.

(Officers advised that the Fees and Charges detailed on pages 125-126 of the report to the Committee should be deleted as the Council was no longer able to charge for these services and that the figure for garage rents on page 131 of the report was inclusive of VAT.

Officers undertook to get back to Councillor Hartnett with information regarding the fees levied for Magnets and DVLA enquiries (Taxi Licensing) on page 116.)

The proposed Fees and Charges for 2010/11 were considered by the Committee. Officers reported that the budget preparation guidelines had set the increase for the year at an average of 2% across a service.

It was noted that rises had not been applied in Leisure Services. It was explained that, as a result of the re-imposition of a VAT rate of 17.5% and the economic downturn, it was not considered sensible to raise Leisure Services charges further as this was an area of discretionary spending that tended to decline during difficult economic circumstances.

Members agreed that, as the Home Support Service was currently undergoing a review, it would be appropriate to increase the charges for this service by no more than the 2% average. Once the review was concluded the charges might be revisited.

Officers advised that the Fees and Charges detailed on pages 125-126 of the report to the Committee be deleted as the Council was no longer able to charge for these services and that the figure for garage rents on page 131 of the report was inclusive of VAT.

Officers undertook to get back to Councillor Hartnett with information regarding the fees levied for Magnets and DVLA enquiries (Taxi Licensing) on page 116.