Voting record

1)    In the section on Revenue Budget Proposed Savings and Charges for Residents’ Parking Zones (RPZs), We propose that the new charges should be £60 for the first permit and £110 for the second one, whilst a Full Consultation is  held with all the residents who presently live in these Zones, to ask them if they would consent to a less-costly scheme –(an RPZ-lite) which could possibly be brought in in 2 years’ time when the present contract ends.    

We understand the wish to recover the full cost of the services which the Council runs, but this parking Zone Scheme is enormously expensive and it has been heavily subsidised for many years. We think that very few people knew the size of the subsidy, and the dramatic increase in proposed charges has come as a huge shock. Residents are being asked to pay £72 when they previously paid only £41, and £144 instead of £82. These increases are way above the rate of inflation and we consider them to be unreasonable. So, we are proposing smaller increases, which would still reduce the Council’s subsidy, but by a smaller amount. We propose that the charges should be £60 and £110. The deficit to the Council’s Revenue would be funded from general reserves.

Therefore the Budget be amended as follows:

a)      Appendix A MTFP be deleted and replaced with an amended Appendix A

b)     Appendix B Savings Proposals, the page on RPZ permit costs be deleted and replaced with the pages attached as Annex 2 to the amendment; and

c)      Appendix G Fees and Charges, the page on parking be deleted and replaced with the page attached as Annex 3 to this amendment.

1)    We are acutely aware that many people in East Herts are being hit very hard by the rising cost of living at the moment, and many are really struggling to pay their bills. They are worried for themselves and for their children. By using part of the unexpected New Homes Bonus the Council would reduce the tax burden a little and would demonstrate its care for its residents.  We therefore propose the following amendment:

a.    That the New homes Bonus transfer to reserves be reduced by £156,670;

b.    That £156,670 be transferred from the General Fund to the Collection Fund to create a discretionary council tax discount under section 13A (1) (c) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 and that discount to be proportionate to a maximum of £2.50 at Band D to be applied only to a liability balance, i.e. credits will not be applied to exempt properties, properties in receipt of 100% Council Tax Support or where other discounts have reduced the liability by 100%;;

c.     That Council notes this will reduce the increase in the East Herts Council Tax payable by residents by 50% but will protect resources going forward as the full £5 increase will have been set for Council Tax Referendum purposes.

d.    Appendix A MTFP be deleted and replaced with an amended Appendix A attached as Annex 4 to this amendment

e.    Appendix D Reserves be deleted and replaced with an amended Appendix D attached as Annex 5 to this amendment.

f.      Consequent on this amendment passing then Item 11 Council Tax Resolution be amended as shown in yellow on the Council tax Resolution attached as Annex 6 to this amendment.

Insert into Budget 2022/23 and Medium Term Financial Plan as recommendation F.

That Council agrees the following:

This Council notes:

·        That at the 15^th December 2021 Full Council meeting, Council backed the Fees and Charges policy which gave rise to the new RPZ policy

·        That as a general principle non-statutory services should be provided on a full cost recovery basis.

This council believes:

·        That costs for non-statutory services should be as low as possible

·        That those who don’t use non-statutory services should not be asked to cross-subsidise those that do

·        The charging policy provides for full cost recovery. This council will endeavour to reduce the cost base of its services, so that full cost recovery charges are as low as possible

·        That full cost recovery charges can go down in future years as well as up

This council resolves:

·        That the principle of the Fees and Charging policy is that any future reductions in the cost base (or increases in the revenue from the scheme) will feed through to lower RPZ permit costs

·        To ask the Audit and Governance Committee to investigate the cost base of the RPZ scheme

·        To invite resident groups in RPZ scheme areas who no longer wish to have an RPZ to approach the council to look at further options.