Issue - meetings

(The Chair agreed that the report be considered at the meeting as a matter of urgency, under the provisions of Section 100B(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972, in order to enable new fees and charges to be implemented with effect from 1 April 2013.)

The Cabinet Member for Finance presented a report on the proposed fees and charges for Council services, to come into effect from 1 April 2013.

The Cabinet Member confirmed that fees and charges were set to increase by an average of 3%, in line with inflation, and had been developed within the framework of the Council’s Charging Policy and in the context of the Council’s budget framework for 2013/14.  The Cabinet Member also referred to the need for some flexibility to be built in to the annual process to enable fees and charges to be reviewed and, if necessary, adjusted during the course of the year to respond to changes in demand and other social and economic factors.

Cabinet agreed:

  (i)  The proposed fees and charges as set out in at Appendix A to the report, to be effective from 1 April 2013;

  (ii)  To note the fees and charges no longer applicable from 31 March 2013, as set out in Appendix B to the report;

 (iii)  To authorise the Corporate Director of Children’s Services, in consultation with the Chief Financial Officer and the Cabinet Members for Finance and Children’s Services, to set the fees and charges which are applied from September for school and academic year based activities; and

 (iv)  To authorise Chief Officers, in consultation with the Chief Financial Officer and the relevant Cabinet Member, to amend fees and charges relating to their service responsibilities during the course of the financial year, and to advise the Cabinet of any such amendments.