Issue - items at meetings - Review of Fees and Charges 2015/16

Item FP 15/6 referred from Finance, Innovation and Property Advisory Board minutes of 7 January 2015

(Item FIP 15/6 referred from Finance, Innovation and Property Advisory Board Minutes of 7 January 2015)

Consideration of recommendations to the Cabinet from the Finance, Innovation and Property Advisory Board of 7 January 2015.

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 set out at paragraph 1.2.1 of the report with effect from 1 April 2015;

2) the proposed unchanged scale of fees for local land charges searches and enquiries set out at paragraph 1.3.5 of the report be adopted with effect from 1 April 2015;

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 Gatehouse as outlined in paragraph 1.5.3 of the report be approved for implementation from 1 April 2015 and the charges be reflected in the appropriate tourism marketing material;

5) the proposed charges for Tonbridge Castle Chamber as set out in Annex 4 to the report be approved for implementation from 1 April 2015 and the list of concessionary users at Annex 2 to the report be endorsed;

6) the proposed charges for weddings at Tonbridge Castle as outlined in paragraph 1.7.3 of the report be approved for implementation from 1 April 2016;

7) no changes be made to car parking charges this year and they be reviewed again in 12 months’ time;

8) building control fees be held at the same level as last year for a further 12 months when they will be reviewed again, the current level of fees remaining competitive with the private sector;

9) the scale of charges for condemned food certificates, exported food certificates, contaminated land monitoring, sampling private water supplies, stray dog redemption fees and household bulky refuse collection be approved with effect from 1 April 2015 as detailed in paragraphs 1.10 to 1.16 of the report;

10) the introduction of a charge for emptying wheeled bins where the contractor is not at fault and the customer requests paying for the service be approved with effect from 1 February 2015 for a trial period of six months; and

11) the fees schedule for street naming and numbering set out at paragraph 1.18 of the report be adopted with effect from 1 April 2015.

[Councillor N Heslop declared an Other Significant Interest in item (5) 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.]

Item FIP 15/6 referred from Finance, Innovation and Property Advisory Board Minutes of 7 January 2015

Decision Notice D150015CAB

Item FP 15/6 referred from Finance, Innovation and Property Advisory Board minutes of 7 January 2015

(Item FIP 15/6 referred from Finance, Innovation and Property Advisory Board Minutes of 7 January 2015)

Consideration of recommendations to the Cabinet from the Finance, Innovation and Property Advisory Board of 7 January 2015.

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 set out at paragraph 1.2.1 of the report with effect from 1 April 2015;

(2) the proposed unchanged scale of fees for local land charges searches and enquiries set out at paragraph 1.3.5 of the report be adopted with effect from 1 April 2015;

(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 Gatehouse as outlined in paragraph 1.5.3 of the report be approved for implementation from 1 April 2015 and the charges be reflected in the appropriate tourism marketing material;

(5) the proposed charges for Tonbridge Castle Chamber as set out in Annex 4 to the report be approved for implementation from 1 April 2015 and the list of concessionary users at Annex 2 to the report be endorsed;

(6) the proposed charges for weddings at Tonbridge Castle as outlined in paragraph 1.7.3 of the report be approved for implementation from 1 April 2016;

(7) no changes be made to car parking charges this year and they be reviewed again in 12 months’ time;

(8) building control fees be held at the same level as last year for a further 12 months when they will be reviewed again, the current level of fees remaining competitive with the private sector;

(9) the scale of charges for condemned food certificates, exported food certificates, contaminated land monitoring, sampling private water supplies, stray dog redemption fees and household bulky refuse collection be approved with effect from 1 April 2015 as detailed in paragraphs 1.10 to 1.16 of the report;

(10) the introduction of a charge for emptying wheeled bins where the contractor is not at fault and the customer requests paying for the service be approved with effect from 1 February 2015 for a trial period of six months; and

(11) the fees schedule for street naming and numbering set out at paragraph 1.18 of the report be adopted with effect from 1 April 2015.

Item FIP 15/6 referred from Finance, Innovation and Property Advisory Minutes of 7 January 2015

Deferred to Budget meeting.

The report of the Management Team brought forward for consideration as part of the Budget setting process for 2015/16 proposals in respect of those fees and charges that were the responsibility of the Cabinet Member for Finance, Innovation and Property or not reported elsewhere.

In considering the car parking charges, Members expressed concern about illegal on-street parking in various parts of the Borough and the adequacy of enforcement resources. Officers undertook to pass the comments to the Director of Planning, Housing and Environmental Health to be addressed in the future review.

RECOMMENDED: That