Issue - meetings

The Executive Member for Resources and Internal Support submitted a report setting out proposed fees and charges for 2011/12.  He referred to the comments of the joint meeting of Scrutiny Committees held on 18 January 2011.  The Committees had supported the proposed fees and charges and had recommended that a concessionary rate of planning pre-application fees for charities, parish and town councils should be included.  The Executive Member supported this.

The Executive Member for Community Safety and Protection referred to the proposed charges to town councils for CCTV cameras, which were currently subsidised by the District Council.  He detailed the current charges and the actual cost in each town centre and proposed that the subsidy be retained for 2011/12 only, subject to further consideration as part of the scheduled Community Safety Review in 2011/12.  This was supported by the Executive.

In response to questions by Members, the Executive Member confirmed that discussions with the town councils during the review would be undertaken.

The Executive commended the proposals as now detailed.

RECOMMENDED – that (A) the comments of the Joint Scrutiny Committees of 18 January 2011, be received;

(B)      a concessionary rate for planning pre-application fees for Charities and Parish and Town Councils be approved;

(C)      the subsidy towards the full cost of CCTV cameras in town centres be continued for 2011/12 only and that the issue be considered further as part of the Community Safety Review; and

(D)      excepting (B) and (C) above, the increases in fees and charges as detailed in Essential Reference Paper ‘B’ of the report submitted, be approved.

The Executive Member for Resources and Internal Support submitted a report on increasing discretionary fees and charges in 2011/12 to generate additional income.

The Committees were reminded that the Council had adopted a fees and charges strategy and a set of key principles on which fees and charges should be set.  Officers had been requested to bring forward proposals for charges having regard to the principles of the strategy.  A proportional approach having regard to the level of income generated within each service had also been advocated.  Information on proposals for individual services was given.

Members considered the charges for local land charge services, Hackney Carriage services  and development pre-application by charities and Parish and Town Councils and decided to make the comments detailed below to the Executive.

Councillor R Gilbert suggested a concession could be made for OAPs for residents’ parking.  The Director of Community and Customer Services undertook to give a written reply to Councillors V Shaw and C Woodward on new charging arrangements for CCTV cameras.

The Committees decided to inform the Executive that the fees and charges should be approved with the additional comments detailed below.

RESOLVED  - that the Executive be informed that, the Joint Scrutiny Committees consider the fees and charges as set out in Essential Reference Paper ‘B’ of the report now submitted, should be approved, including a concessionary rate of planning pre-application fees for charities and Parish and Town Councils, changes to fees for the land charges service in line with neighbouring authorities and setting the Hackney carriage fees to reduce the subsidy.