(Joint Report of Management Team and Cabinet Member for Finance, Innovation and Property)
In advance of budget setting for 2023/24, Cabinet considered proposals for increases to fees and charges set by the Borough Council. Details relating to the setting of fees and charges across the various Services of the authority were set out in Annexes 1 – 4. The proposals had regard to the level of inflation, market conditions and comparable charges.
Particular reference was made to the recommendation of the Finance, Planning and Regeneration Scrutiny Select Committee following its meeting on 11 October, which invited Cabinet to undertake an in-year review of fees and charges due to the escalating levels of inflation. The latest inflation statistics for September CPI was recorded as 10.1%, rising from 9.9% in August.
The Scrutiny Select Committee had also recommended that in-year car parking charges throughout the Borough be reviewed. However, as the length of the required formal public consultation exercise would fall into the 2023/24 financial year it would not be feasible to consider an in-year review of charges in this specific service area.
Finally, Cabinet was reminded that the Borough Council’s financial rules, as set out in the Constitution, required that all fees and charges must be reviewed at least once a year and reported to Members. Under the new governance arrangements introduced earlier in 2022, the Cabinet were responsible for considering these proposals directly. Recommendations made would be incorporated into the draft Revenue Estimates which would be formally presented to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee early in 2023.
Careful consideration was given to the proposals set out in Annex 1 – 4 and Cabinet noted the budget setting timetable, the legal, financial and value for money implications and recognised the significant and challenging financial position. It was also noted that the proposals could generate a contribution of £50,000 to the savings target if approved.
RESOLVED: That
(1) the fees and charges proposed by the Director of Planning, Housing and Environmental Health, as set out at Annex 1, be approved;
(2) the fees and charges proposed by the Director of Street Scene, Leisure and Technical Services, as set out at Annex 2, be approved;
(3) the fees and charges proposed by the Director of Central Services, as set out at Annex 3, be approved; and
(4) the fees and charges proposed by the Director of Finance and Transformation, as set out at Annex 4, be approved.