Agenda item

Report of the Strategic Director of Regeneration and Environment

Cabinet Member:    Councillor Hoddinott

Commissioner:        Kenny (in advisory role)

Recommendations:

1.     That approval be given to the:

a)    Proposed fees and charges for the Planning and Building Control Service as set out in Appendix 1.

b)    Proposed fees and charges for Leisure and Green Spaces as set out in Appendix 2.

c)     Proposed Building Regulation charges as set out in Appendix 3.

d)    Proposed Market Service and Borough Fairs Charges as set out in Appendix 4.

e)    Proposed Community Protection charges as set out in Appendix 5.

f)      Proposed Library, Customer Services, Theatre Services and Heritage Service charges as set out in Appendix 6.

g)    Proposed Commercial Waste charges as set out in Appendix 7.

h)    Proposed Business Regulation charges as set out in Appendix 8.

i)       Proposed Pest Control charges as set out in Appendix 9

2.     That, subject to the approval of the Strategic Director of Regeneration and Environment or the appropriate Assistant Director within Regeneration and Environment, officers be given flexibility on prices charged in respect of areas of commercial activity, to allow the Council to retain and attract business where necessary. 

3.     That, subject to the approval of the Strategic Director of Regeneration and Environment or the appropriate Assistant Director within Regeneration and Environment, officers be given flexibility to introduce promotional discounts and negotiate individual charges to meet the needs of the business.

Consideration was given to a report which detailed the proposed fees and charges for the Regeneration and Environment Directorate for 2017/18 and beyond and were reflected in the budget savings proposals included in the Council’s Budget and Council Tax setting report, which were approved by Council on the 8^th March, 2017. 

The charges for each service within Regeneration and Environment were presented in Appendices 1 – 9.  Where no increases were proposed to charges in 2017/18, charges would remain at the amounts approved by Cabinet and Commissioners’ Decision Making Meeting on the 14^th March, 2016.  Within the proposed fees and charges, the following changes were specifically highlighted:-

·                Planning and Building Control Service – proposals to introduce a new charge for property addressing. 

·                Leisure and Green Spaces - Fees and charges have been reviewed in the context of the known demand for individual services.  As a result, a number of charges have been held at existing levels and others have been increased by at least the rate of inflation.  Charges are applied for the 2017/18 financial year; however, there are several exceptions to this:-

Ø   Charges for Wedding Packages in Clifton Park for 2017/18 and 2018/19. 

Ø   Car parking tariff at Clifton Park for over 3 hours during the summer and for the remainder of the year have been increased to reflect demand for this service. 

Ø   Allotment rents giving tenants twelve months’ notice of any increase.

·                Building Regulation Charges – Building Control Application Fees have been reviewed and were proposed to be increased for the first time since April 2014. 

·                Market Service and Borough Fairs Charges– Market Service charges have been, but it was recommended that rents for the Centenary Market Hall remain frozen for 2017, to ensure that the Market Service remains competitive and attractive to new businesses.  However, an increase of £2.10 (10.6%) for Tuesday Street Market Casual Traders was proposed, to reflect the popularity of this market.  In addition, in respect of Borough Fairs Charges, Appendix 4b, a 5% increase was proposed, to reflect the fact that charges have been frozen in recent years.

·                Community Protection Charges – Changes to the Housing Licensing fee structure were made in 2016/17.  With the exception of charges for Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO), which would increase by 1% to reflect salary cost increases, it was not proposed to increase any of the other charges in this area. 

Consultation Fees would be at the appropriate hourly rate for the officer carrying out the work. 

·                Library, Customer Services, Theatre Services and Heritage Services - Heritage Services’ charges would largely remain static in order to improve take up of these services. 

Registration Services were able to set fees on a cost recovery only basis, for any non-statutory services they delivered and an increase was proposed from 1^st April 2017. 

No changes to fees and charges proposed for Library and Customer Services. 

Theatre Services’  fees and charges applied to theatre hire, equipment hire, specialist additional staffing support and ticketing, but negotiation of professional contracts would continue, with a £1 ticket fee for professional show bookings, to recover administration costs.  

·                Commercial Waste Charges – Proposed to increase commercial waste charges by 2.5%. 

·                Business Regulation Charges - Proposed that the fees for 2017/18 were increased in line with the 1% increase in staffing costs across the service.   

·                Pest Control Fees – The proposed fees have been set and were across a range of pest control.   

It was suggested that officers be given flexibility on prices charged in respect of areas of commercial activity, to allow the Council to retain and attract business, where necessary, and include promotional discounts and negotiate individual charges to meet the needs of the business. 

It was also noted there were no proposals to increase fees and charges for Highways Services, Parking Services, Licensing and for the hiring of directly managed community buildings.  A review of these charges would be undertaken in 2017/18 and proposals for 2018/19 brought forward in due course. 

This report was considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board at its meeting on the 3^rd March, 2017 and was supportive of the recommendations to Cabinet.  It was also requested that a report detailing progress in respect of full cost recovery be submitted to the Board in September, 2017.

Resolved:-  

1.         That the following be approved:-

·                Fees and charges for the Planning and Building Control Service as set out in Appendix 1.

·                Fees and charges for Leisure and Green Spaces as set out in Appendix 2.

·                Building Regulation charges as set out in Appendix 3.

·                Market Service and Borough Fairs Charges as set out in Appendix 4.

·                Community Protection charges as set out in Appendix 5.

·                Library, Customer Services, Theatre Services and Heritage Service charges as set out in Appendix 6.

·                Commercial Waste charges as set out in Appendix 7.

·                Business Regulation charges as set out in Appendix 8.

·                Pest Control charges as set out in Appendix 9

2.         That, subject to the approval of the Strategic Director of Regeneration and Environment or the appropriate Assistant Director within Regeneration and Environment, officers be given flexibility on prices charged in respect of areas of commercial activity, to allow the Council to retain and attract business where necessary. 

3.         That, subject to the approval of the Strategic Director of Regeneration and Environment or the appropriate Assistant Director within Regeneration and Environment, officers be given flexibility to introduce promotional discounts and negotiate individual charges to meet the needs of the business.

4.         That a report detailing progress in respect of full cost recovery be submitted to the Overview Scrutiny Management Board in September, 2017.