Council and councillors

Report No. 213/2017

(KEY DECISION)

Report No. 213/2017 from the Director for Resources was received.

Mr S Della Rocca, Assistant Director – Finance, introduced the report, the purpose of which was to set out the proposals for fees and charges for services provided by the Council, for the financial year 2018/19.

During his introduction, Mr Della Rocca noted that discussion at Scrutiny Panel had focused on the rate of inflation applied to charges where the Council has ultimate discretion.  Inflation was currently at 3.1%, but a rate of 2% had been applied in the report.  It was noted that a move towards a 3.1% uplift would generate up to £10,000 of additional income assuming that demand remained at current levels. For discretionary fees and charges many factors are considered (staffing costs, likely impact on demand, competition and policy aims) and the inflation rate may not be the guiding principle. In the future it might be more appropriate to allow Managers more discretion to decide on any increase in charges in their areas, in the light of any relevant factors and the authority’s priority to take a more commercial approach to maximise income in order to maintain and improve the delivery of services.

During discussion the following points were raised:

i.      The level of charge applied to residents parking permits had been discussed at Scrutiny Panels and also as part of budget discussions in previous years.  It was expected that this fee would be reviewed before next year;

ii.    Where Managers would be responsible for setting fees in the coming years, there should be a clear rationale for proposals to justify the level at which fees had been set if questioned;

iii.   There was some concern that the opportunity to benefit from a higher increase was being missed by keeping the rate at 2% this year but the Leader proposed no change to current proposals;

iv.   A delegation to allow Officers to increase fees throughout the year would mean that Officers did not have to wait for the annual report;

v.    In future years it would be more beneficial to look at individual costs rather than applying a blanket increase;

vi.   Officers should ensure that they discuss with Portfolio Holders the policy aims associated with fees and charges as in some cases generating income may not be the key priority.

DECISION

Cabinet RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL:

1.            To APPROVE the level of fees and charges for 2018/19 as set out in Appendices 1-4, and

2.            To APPROVE that the fees for local elections and referendum continue to be set in line with other Local Authorities from Leicestershire. 

Reasons for decision

1.  The annual review of fees and charges is an integral part of the budget and council tax setting process and is also to ensure the Council is compliant with legislative guidance.  It is therefore recommended that Cabinet approve the proposals set out in the document. 

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Mr A Walters left the meeting

Ms R Wilshire joined the meeting

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