Council is asked to approve the Fees and Charges for 2015/16.

The Review of Fees and Charges was brought forward to allow time for the Leader to arrive.

The Cabinet Member for Finance introduced the Review of Fees and Charges which sought approval for the level of Fees and Charges to be levied for 2015/16 to take effect from 1 April 2015.  The Cabinet Member thanked the Scrutiny Committee for their thorough review of the Fees and Charges and Management Team for their hard work.  He advised that the proposals were based on sound business management; any proposed increases related to discretionary charges; and no increase was proposed in car parking charges to support local businesses.  He advised that Christmas car parking concessions had been announced by the Cabinet Member for Environmental and Rural Affairs.  The proposals set out in the report would generate an estimated additional income of £4.5k, and he proposed the recommendations.

The recommendations were seconded by Councillor Gerry Lewin.

The Leader of the Labour Group considered that the proposals did not do anything and advised that the Labour Group fundamentally disagreed with the car parking charges and that the Council was not doing enough to attract people into the Borough’s town centres.

The Leader of the Independent Group referred to the penalty charges for dog fouling and considered that this was a significant issue for residents.  He advised that this had been raised at Scrutiny Committee and Cabinet, and he urged Cabinet to write to the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) and ask them for more freedom for Local Authorities to charge higher rates and to escalate the charges more quickly if they were not paid in time.

The Leader of the Independent Group referred to the pre-application planning advice fees and proposed the following amendment: “Householder planning advice charges should be split into two different charges for major and minor, applicable to both meetings and letters.”  This was seconded by Councillor Monique Bonney.

The Cabinet Member for Planning advised that there was no definition of major and minor applications and it was too complex to agree this amendment without suitable definitions.

Councillor Bonney spoke as seconder of the proposal and suggested that a common sense approach could be taken with regard to the definitions.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 19(5) a recorded vote was taken on the amendment and voting was as follows:

For: Councillors Monique Bonney, Mick Constable, Mike Haywood, Mike Henderson, Martin McCusker, Adam Tolhurst, Roger Truelove, Ghlin Whelan, Nick Williams and Tony Winckless.  Votes for equal 10.

Against: Councillors Barnicott, Sylvia Bennett, Andy Booth, Lloyd Bowen, Derek Conway, Mike Cosgrove, John Coulter, Adrian Crowther, Duncan Dewar-Whalley, June Garrad, Sue Gent, Nicholas Hampshire, Lesley Ingham, David Jones, Gerry Lewin, Peter Marchington, Bryan Mulhern, Prescott, Ken Pugh, Gareth Randall, Pat Sandle, David Simmons, Ben Stokes, Anita Walker, Mike Whiting, Ted Wilcox, Alan Willicombe, Jean Willicombe and John Wright.  Votes against equal 29.

Abstention: Councillors Bobbin, Bowles, and Steve Worrall.

The amendment was lost.

Discussion ensued during which Members made the following comments: why was the Council not offering free parking for weekends/market-days or both to support businesses - this should be considered for a trial period of six months?; could areas within Council car parks be offered for rental to car-washing businesses to generate additional income?; parking ticket machines should either give change or allow the additional time paid for; and free parking should be offered on Remembrance Sunday.

The Leader considered that the Council had a duty to the whole electorate regarding appropriate fees and charges, and local businesses were supported in a number of ways by the Council.  He considered the focus should be on not increasing Council Tax, as this was a benefit for all residents.  He acknowledged the comment regarding Remembrance Sunday and agreed to consider this as a proposal in a future budget.

The Cabinet Member for Finance agreed to follow-up the request of a letter to the DCLG regarding penalty charges for dog fouling.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 19(5) a recorded vote was taken on the substantive motion and voting was as follows:

For: Councillors Barnicott, Sylvia Bennett, Bobbin, Andy Booth, Lloyd Bowen, Bowles, Derek Conway, Mike Cosgrove, John Coulter, Adrian Crowther, Duncan Dewar-Whalley, June Garrad, Sue Gent, Nicholas Hampshire, Lesley Ingham, David Jones, Gerry Lewin, Peter Marchington, Bryan Mulhern, Prescott, Ken Pugh, Gareth Randall, Pat Sandle, David Simmons, Ben Stokes, Anita Walker, Mike Whiting, Ted Wilcox, Alan Willicombe, Jean Willicombe and John Wright.  Votes for equal 31.

Against: Councillors Monique Bonney, Mick Constable, Mike Haywood, Mike Henderson, Martin McCusker, Adam Tolhurst, Roger Truelove, Ghlin Whelan, Nick Williams, Tony Winckless and Steve Worrall.  Votes against equal 11.

RESOLVED:

(1)  That the Fees and Charges for 2015/16 be approved as set out in the report.