Agenda item

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Kerr)

 

Report of Corporate Director (Community Services).

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Kerr)

 

The Corporate Director (Community Services) submitted a report prepared as part of the 2010/11 estimate procedure, setting out options for increasing the level of fees and charges.

 

The options, options analysis, including risk assessment and officer preferred option, were set out in the report as follows:

 

Options to Members include:

 

a)         To approve either the 0.75%, 2% or 4% increase in fees for Health & Strategic Housing’s fees and charges.

 

b)         To approve a different % increase.

 

c)         To retain the fees for rats and mice at £25.00 (with a reduction to £12.50 for customers in receipt of Council Tax and/or Housing Benefit).

 

d)         To increase the fees for rats and mice in line with the other increases or a different amount.

 

e)         To increase the fees for fleas and wasps to bring them in line with other insects (but retaining the 50% discount for flea treatments for those in receipt of Council Tax and/or Housing Benefit).

 

f)          Not to increase the fees for fleas and wasps by this amount and to increase them in line with the other increases or a different amount.

 

g)         To delegate authority to set contract prices for pest control contracts to the Head of Health & Strategic Housing to enable current market conditions to be taken into account and allow for negotiation of contract prices.  (Subject to financial services agreement to the methodology for setting contract prices).

 

h)         Not to approve the delegation.

 

i)          To approve the suggested charges for registered charities.

 

j)          Not to approve the suggested charges for registered charities.

 

k)         To approve the introduction of a fee for the return of stray dogs from the dog warden service prior to dogs being taken to kennels.

 

l)          Not to approve the introduction of a fee for the return of stray dogs from the dog warden service prior to dogs being taken to kennels.

 

m)        To approve an increase in the Exclusive Right of Burial only for the Neptune Baby & Young Child Memorial Garden.

 

n)         To approve an increase in fees as well as the Exclusive Right of Burial for the Neptune Baby & Young Child Memorial Garden.

 

o)         To approve no increase for the fees for cremated remains memorial vaults.

 

p)         To approve a % increase for fees for cremated remains memorial vaults.

 

q)         To increase the charges for walled bricked vaults as suggested or by a different amount.

 

The officer preferred options are:

 

a)  0.75% increase to keep the increase in charges to a minimum to support residents at a time of recession and also, c), e), g), i), k), m), o) and q) for the reasons set out in the report.  The suggested increases and new fees would enable a slight increase in income for the council, whilst retaining fair and reasonable fees for the services offered.

 

 It was moved by Councillor Kerr and seconded by Councillor Langhorn:-

 

“(1)      That the Health & Strategic Housing fees in Appendix 1 of the report be increased by 0.75%, with the exception of the fees for rats, mice and fleas.

 

(2)               That the fees for rats and mice be retained at £25.00 with a reduction to £12.50 for customers in receipt of Council Tax and/or Housing Benefit.

 

(3)               That the fee for fleas and wasps be increased to bring them in line with fees for other insects, but retaining the 50% discount for flea treatments for those in receipt of Council Tax and/or Housing Benefit.

 

(4)               That the authority to set contract prices for pest control contracts be delegated to the Head of Health & Strategic Housing to enable current market conditions to be taken into account and allow for negotiation of contract prices.  (Subject to financial services agreement to the methodology for setting contract prices).

 

(5)               That registered charities be charged the domestic rate fee for treatment visits up to 1 hour and then charged the commercial hourly rate thereafter (per visit).

 

(6)               That a fee be introduced for the return of stray dogs to owners from the dog warden service prior to dogs being taken to kennels.

 

(7)        That the cemeteries fees and charges for the Neptune Baby and Young Child Memorial Garden not be increased except for the Exclusive Right of Burial fee which is 50% of the adult fee.

 

(8)        That the cemetery fees and charges for the cremated remains memorial vaults not be increased in order to encourage demand.

 

(9)        That the suggested increases for walled brick vaults be approved to more accurately reflect the actual cost to the council of providing this service.”

 

Members then voted:-

 

Resolved unanimously:

 

(1)               That the Health & Strategic Housing fees in Appendix 1 of the report be increased by 0.75%, with the exception of the fees for rats, mice and fleas.

 

(2)               That the fees for rats and mice be retained at £25.00 with a reduction to £12.50 for customers in receipt of Council Tax and/or Housing Benefit.

 

(3)               That the fee for fleas and wasps be increased to bring them in line with fees for other insects, but retaining the 50% discount for flea treatments for those in receipt of Council Tax and/or Housing Benefit.

 

(4)               That the authority to set contract prices for pest control contracts be delegated to the Head of Health & Strategic Housing to enable current market conditions to be taken into account and allow for negotiation of contract prices.  (Subject to financial services agreement to the methodology for setting contract prices).

 

(5)               That registered charities be charged the domestic rate fee for treatment visits up to 1 hour and then charged the commercial hourly rate thereafter (per visit).

 

(6)               That a fee be introduced for the return of stray dogs to owners from the dog warden service prior to dogs being taken to kennels.

 

(7)        That the cemeteries fees and charges for the Neptune Baby and Young Child Memorial Garden not be increased except for the Exclusive Right of Burial fee which is 50% of the adult fee.

 

(8)        That the cemetery fees and charges for the cremated remains memorial vaults not be increased in order to encourage demand.

 

(9)        That the suggested increases for walled brick vaults be approved to more accurately reflect the actual cost to the council of providing this service.

 

Officers responsible for effecting the decision:

 

Corporate Director (Community Services)

Head of Health and Strategic Housing

 

Reasons for making the decision:

 

The decision retains fair and reasonable fees for the services offered.