Agenda item

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Whitehead)

Report of Director of Corporate Services  (report published on 13.01.22)

Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Whitehead)

Cabinet received a report from the Chief Finance Officer in order that Members could endorse the Fees and Charges report for 2022/23 and consider a range of charging options as deemed appropriate to the service area.

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

The policy attached to the report remains substantively unchanged and it is considered that it remains fit for purpose (at least in the short term) and it adequately covers Cabinet’s budget proposals. As such, no options are presented and Cabinet is simply requested to endorse the policy, with a review being undertaken next year.

With regard to charges in general, inflation has been applied and the impact has been fed into the draft general fund budget for 2022/23. Should Members wish to apply inflation, further work to determine charging levels would need to take place and be fed into the budget setting process as appropriate.

With regard to other specific considerations, these have been fed into the draft revenue budget where appropriate and will seek to update the net financial position when agreed as part of the budget setting process.

The introduction of the new regeneration and planning charges are subject to Member agreement and as such are included as a recommendation within this report.

Councillor Whitehead proposed, seconded by Councillor Lewis:-

“That the recommendations, as set out in the report, be approved.”

Councillors then voted:-

Resolved unanimously:

(1)             That Cabinet endorses the Fees and Charges Policy as set out at Appendix A to the report, and during 2022/23 as part of the mid-year budget strategy review determines whether any other areas of income generation be explored further for 2023/24 onwards.

(2)             That Cabinet note that a car parking tariff review will take place and a further report will be presented to Cabinet outlining future options, as reported as part of the current 2022/23 budget setting process.

(3)     That Cabinet endorses the freezing of Salt Ayre Leisure Centre prices, as reported as part of the current 2022/23 budget setting process with the exception of retail-led activities.

(4)       That Cabinet endorses the freezing of garden waste collection charges, as agreed by Cabinet on 27th October 2020.

(5)      That Cabinet endorses the annual review of Mellishaw Park pitch fees in line with RPI, as prescribed by the Mobile Homes Act 1983.

  (6)       That Cabinet endorses the return to applying inflationary increases to fees and  charges across all remaining areas as appropriate, as reported as part of the current 2022/23 budget setting process.

(7)      That Cabinet endorses the implementation of the new charges in respect, as reported as part of the current 2022/23 budget setting process.

Officer responsible for effecting the decision:

Chief Finance Officer

Reasons for making the decision:

Fees and charges form an integral part of the budget setting process, which in turn relates to the Council’s priorities. Under the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS), income generation is a specific initiative for helping to balance the budget.

A number of income budgets were significantly reduced in 2021/22 due to the pandemic and where appropriate these have now been returned to pre-pandemic levels when formulating the draft 2022/23 revenue. Whilst this does not take account of any associated expenditure linked to service provision, it does highlight that income generation is a significant contributor to the Council’s net position, thereby helping to reduce service subsidisation and protect other service provision.