Agenda item - Fees and Charges Report

Agenda item

Fees and Charges Report

Minutes:

The Executive Director for Finance and Corporate Resources presented the Fees and Charges 2014/15 report.  Members were advised that Cabinet had already considered and resolved on the report, with the fees and charges that had been approved due to be introduced in the new financial year.  In future years it was anticipated that the report to would be presented for the Board to pre-scrutinise.  For 2014/15 the report had been provided to help contextualise the Council’s income and assist in constructive budget scrutiny.

 

During consideration of the report a number of issues were discussed in detail:

 

·         A decision had been taken by Cabinet to reduce the charge for green waste collection from £45 to £38.  There would be a shortfall in the estimated income in 2014/15 of £7,000 and in 2015/16 the full year effect of the reduction would be a shortfall of £63,000.

·         The garden waste collection service had previously generated a surplus.

·         The reduction in the charge for garden waste collection services would not result in other Council Tax payers subsidising the service.  The reduction in the charge would reduce the profit generated by the service for the Council.

·         The number of customers paying for the garden waste collection service had increased in recent years. 

·         The surplus generated by the garden waste collection service in recent years had been returned to balances.

·         The potential for the surplus funds to be used to finance green energy initiatives was discussed and Members questioned the extent to which the carbon footprint of the green waste collection service had been assessed.

·         The impact of the withdrawal of a green waste collection service in the district was also discussed and concerns were raised that this might lead to an increase in fly tipping.

·         Members understood there had previously been a policy at the Council which was designed to encourage residents to compost green waste.  Concerns were raised that the increase in demand for the green waste collection service ran counter to this policy.

·         The Board noted that the green waste collected was processed and sold as soil conditioner.

·         An increase in the fees for bulky collections had also been agreed by Cabinet.  Officers explained that a new approach to collections had been adopted whereby the Council would remove items in situ.  Council staff would also dismantle items if required.

·         The fees for strategic housing were briefly discussed and further detail was requested.

·         The increase in the fees that were charged for the burial of children and for memorial trees and plaques was debated and Members questioned whether these increases were necessary.

 

The car parking charges were also discussed.  Members noted that these had remained static.  Members discussed how parking fees could be reduced during evening hours in order to have a positive impact on the night time economy.  Members noted that the subject of parking charges was in the process of being reviewed by the Car Parking Short, Sharp Review and it would be more appropriate to wait until the review had been completed before any decisions were made on this subject.  Members were also disappointed to note that a notice of motion on this subject had been proposed for the consideration of Council on 19th November.

 

RESOLVED:

 

(a)  that the Head of Environmental Services be invited to attend the following meeting of the Board to present a report on the green waste and bulky waste collection services; and

(b)  that the report be noted.

Supporting documents: