Issue - meetings

To determine the proposed fees and charges for 2011/12.

(Report attached)

The Committee considered the proposed Fees and Charges for 2011/12 for the Council’s chargeable services. Officers tabled an amended version of page 17 of the report to the Executive Committee in respect of certain charges under the Leisure and Arts heading.

Members commented on a number of the proposed increases where the rise had been significantly at a variance with the 3 – 5% increase generally applied or where a new charge had been applied. With regard to leisure services, it was noted that income was continuing to increase while customer satisfaction was being maintained. The Council was informed that Officers took account of the charges levied both in neighbouring authorities and among the Council’s family group of authorities to ensure that such charges were appropriate.

Officers undertook to clarify for future years those charges upon which VAT was applicable.

RECOMMENDED that

the Fees and Charges for 2011/12 as set out in Appendices A-H be approved;

other than in cases where:-

a)      fees and charges are statutory;

b)     fees and charges are set externally; or

c)      fees and charges are established under separate processes, for example Taxi fares.

(This report had been accepted as a matter of Urgent Business – not on the Forward Plan for this meeting – and was considered at the meeting as such, with the approval of the Chair, in accordance with the Council’s constitutional rules and the powers vested in the Chair by virtue of Section 100 (B) (4) (b) of the Local Government Act 1972 to agree to matters of urgency being discussed by reason of special circumstances.

In this case the special circumstances were the need to agree the levels of fees and charges for chargeable services prior to the setting of the Council Tax.)