(Item FIP 16/5 referred from Finance, Innovation and Property Advisory Board minutes of 13 January 2016)

Consideration of recommendations to the Cabinet from the Finance, Innovation and Property Advisory Board of 13 January 2016.

The Cabinet resolved that:

The recommendations of the Finance, Innovation and Property Advisory Board be approved as follows:

(1)         in respect of the recovery of legal fees payable by third parties, the Council’s fees continue to follow the Supreme Court guideline hourly rates as set out at paragraph 1.2.1 of the report;

(2)         the proposed scale of fees for local land charges searches and enquiries set out in the report be adopted with effect from 1 April 2016 noting that with effect from 1 February 2016 property search fees, in the main, are to be subject to VAT on the basis set out in paragraphs 1.3.4 and 1.3.5 of the report;

(3)         the current photocopying charges of 10p (inclusive of VAT) for each page of the same document or additional copies of the same page plus postage as appropriate be retained;

(4)         the proposed charges for Tonbridge Castle Chamber as set out in Annex 3 to the report be approved for implementation from 1 April 2016 and the list of concessionary users at Annex 1 to the report be endorsed;

(5)         the proposed charges for weddings at Tonbridge Castle as outlined in paragraph 1.6.3 of the report be approved for implementation from 1 April 2017;

(6)         the fees schedule for street naming and numbering set out at paragraphs 1.8.2 and 1.8.3 of the report be adopted with effect from 1 April 2016, subject to the fee for addressing one new in-fill property remaining at £169; and

(7)         the amount of council tax and business rate Court costs recharged to the taxpayer remain as set out at paragraph 1.9.2 of the report for the 2016/17 financial year.

[Councillor N Heslop declared an Other Significant Interest in item (4) on the grounds of membership of the Board of the Bridge Trust.  He withdrew from the meeting during its consideration and Councillor Coffin took the chair.]