Issue - decisions

Fees and Charges 2008/09 - Health & Strategic Housing

01/02/2008 - Fees and Charges 2008/09 - Health & Strategic Housing

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor David Kerr)

The Corporate Director (Community Services) submitted a report that had been prepared as part of the 2008/09 estimate procedure and set out options for increasing the level of fees and charges.

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

(i) To approve either the 2.5% or 4.5% increase in fees for Environmental Health charges.

(ii) To approve the fee increases for HMO licensing and APS fees.

(iii) To approve a different fee structure for HMO licensing and APS fees.

(iv) Increase the fee for rats, mice and fleas in line with the other increases, or a different amount. This would make the collection of the fee on site slightly more time consuming and inefficient for the Pest Control Officers.

The preferred officer options were options (i) and (ii) for reasons set out in the report.

It was moved by Councillor Roger Mace and seconded by Councillor David Kerr: -

“That the recommendations, as set out in the report, be approved, subject to the increase in fees and charges being 2.5% and that charges for the removal of wasp infestations in domestic properties be not increased.”

Resolved Unanimously:

(1) That Cabinet increases the Health and Strategic Housing’s fees by 2.5%, as set out below, with the exception of fees for rats, mice or fleas, which remain at £20.00, with a reduction to £10.00 for customers in receipt of Council Tax and/or Housing Benefit and that charges for the removal of wasp infestations in domestic properties be not increased.

HEALTH AND STRATEGIC HOUSING

FEES AND CHARGES FOR THE YEAR 2008/9

OPTION FOR CEMETERY CHARGES

	Present Charge £	2.5% Option Proposed Charge £

Exclusive Right of Burial: i) For the exclusive right of burial for a period of 75 years from the date of purchase, of a single earthen grave, walled grave or vault	500.00	512.50

ii) Exclusive right of burial in a woodland area - 2 space - 1 space	500.00 250.00	512.50 256.25
Transfer of Grave Deed	Legal Costs

Duplicate Grave Deed	73.50	75.25

Searches – hourly rate	33.00	33.75

Interment Charges
(a) For the interment in a grave or woodland site either where the exclusive right of burial HAS or HAS NOT been granted:-

i) of the body of a child whose age at the time of death exceeded one year but did not exceed 16 years.	150.75	154.50

ii) of the body of a person whose age at the time of death exceeded 16 years.	508.75	521.50

iii) interment of cremated remains	122.00	125.00

iv)interment of cremated remains under headstone	185.75	190.50

(b)There is no charge for the interment or burial of cremated remains of a non-viable foetus, the body of a still-born child or a child whose age at the time of death did not exceed one year.
Scattering of Cremated Remains	31.75	32.50

Use of Cemetery Chapel	83.50	85.50

	Present Charge £	2.5% Option Proposed Charge £
Walled Graves & Vaults:

For one person	884.50*	906.50*

For two persons	1473.75*	1510.50*

For opening and resealing vault	296.00*	303.50*

Garden of Remembrance Memorials
(a) Aluminium Plaque – Carnforth	101.00*	103.50*
(b) Bronze plaque – Price on Application
(c)Torrisholme, Scotforth, Skerton, Hale Carr, Carnforth
Old Style:

i) Granite memorial incorporating flower vase and inscription up to 3 lines	424.50*	435.00*

ii) Each additional line (up to 6 in total)	41.00*	42.00*

iii) Carriage fee for returning memorials for additional inscription	38.25*	39.25*
New Style:

i) Granite memorial incorporating flower vase and full inscription	450.00*	461.25*

ii) Deed of grant fee	30.00*	30.75*

iii) New inscription	90.00*	92.25*

iv) Motif	10.00*	10.25*


* = PLUS VAT

	Present Charge £	2.5% Option Proposed Charge £
Memorial Fees
For the permit to erect a memorial on a particular grave in respect of which the exclusive right of burial has been granted.

A memorial not exceeding 6’ (1800 mm) in height	87.75	90.00

Kerb or border stones not exceeding 2’ 6” (750 mm) in height:

(a) enclosing a space not exceeding 7’ 9” (2325 mm) in length by 3’ 3” (975 mm) in width	117.75	120.75

(b) enclosing a space not exceeding 7’ 9” (2325 mm) in length by 7’ 3” (2175 mm) in width	236.00	242.00

A tablet or footstone not exceeding 1’ 6” (450 mm) by 1’ (300 mm	53.75	55.00

Additional charge for exceeding above size	33.75	34.50

An inscribed vase	29.00	29.75

Temporary marker	12.75	13.00

* = PLUS VAT

Lawn Sections
A memorial not exceeding 4’ (1200 mm) in height, 2’ 6” (750mm) in width and 1’ 6” (450 mm) in depth from front to back.	87.75	90.00

The charges indicated include one inscription (name)

for each additional inscription (name), the charge is	29.00	29.75

Annual Registration Fee for Memorial Masons Registration Scheme	37.00	38.00

OPTIONS FOR KENNELLING OF DOGS CHARGES

	Present Charge £	2.5% Option Proposed Charge £
Kennelling charge per day	9.75	10.00

Detention Fee	8.00	8.25

Dog faeces bags	1.30/100	1.35/100

OPTIONS FOR DISINFESTATION CHARGES

	Present Charges £	2.5% Option Proposed Charge £
Common Insects:

Domestic Premises
- Cockroaches and bedbugs	FREE	FREE

- Fleas	20.00	20.00
- Those in receipt of Housing and/or Council Tax benefits.	10.00	10.00
- All others (note: charges for wasp infestations not being increased)	33.50	34.25

Business Premises
- All visits (including wasps) (minimum 1 hour)	65./hr*	66.50/hr*

Rodents:
- Domestic premises	20.00	20.00
- Those in receipt of Housing and/or Council Tax benefits.	10.00	10.00
- Business premises (minimum 1 hour)	59.25/hr*	60.75/hr*

* = PLUS VAT

	Present Charges £	2.5% Option Proposed Charge £
Emergency Callouts:
- Weekday (outside 0800-16.30 hrs)	Standard Rate x 1.5	Standard Rate x 1.5

- Saturday	Standard Rate x 1.5	Standard Rate x 1.5

- Sunday and Bank Holidays	Standard Rate x 2	Standard Rate x 2

Disclosure of Information on Health & Safety matters:

- Full factual statement which may also include sketches, copy of F2508, witness statements, etc.	118.25	121.25

- Brief statement where the information may be of limited use to the recipient.	41.50	42.50

- Photographs & an administration charge	£2.30 each & admin charge to be £11.75	2.40 each & admin charge to be 12.00

- Photocopying	12p/sheet	13p/sheet

Contaminated Land Information:

- Domestic enquiry	91.00*	93.25*

- Industrial enquiry	115.75*	118.75*

PORT HEALTH CHARGES

Ship Inspection Charges

Gross Tonnage:
Up to 3,000	-	100
3,001-10,000	-	150
10,001-20,000	-	200
20,001-30,000	-	230
Over 30,000	-	300
With the exception of: · Vessels with the capacity to carry between 50 and 1000 persons - · Vessels with the capacity to carry more than 1000 persons -		300 500

Water SampleCharges:

Water sample as part of sanitation certificate	-	75.00

Water sample from Heysham Port	-	82.50

Water sample from Glasson Dock	-	95.00

STRATEGIC HOUSING:

	Present Charge £	Proposed Charge £
- Immigration Inspection Charges	52.50	53.75 (+2.5%)		54.75 (+4.5%)
- Accredited Property Scheme	30.00	50.00
- HMO Licence Fees:
Discounted Rate (Renewal within 2 months)	£250	£400	(Proposed fee per additional unit) £60
Basic Rate	£350	£500	(Proposed fee per additional unit) £70
Admin Fee		£60

* = PLUS VAT

(2) That Cabinet approves the new fees for Port Health Ship Inspections and the taking of water samples.

(3) That Cabinet approves the proposals to increase fees for the Accredited Property Scheme and HMO Licence fees as outlined in the report.

Officers responsible for effecting the decision:

Corporate Director (Community Services).

Head of Health and Strategic Housing.

Reason for making the decision:

The decision notes the risks associated with no increase at all are that no additional income could be generated. The risks of setting the fees too high are that the City Council may receive negative media coverage and complaints, or residents may choose to engage another provider (particularly pest control).

(The meeting adjourned at 11.55 a.m. and re-convened at 12.20 p.m.)