Agenda item

[To approve fees and charges receivable by the Council]

Councillor Johnson presented the report, which outlined recommended levels for the majority of fees and charges receivable by the Council.

Resolved:

1.    That the fees and charges detailed at Appendices A to C to the report be approved, to take effect from 1 November 2015 (or as soon as possible thereafter).

2.    That, in the following instances, authority be delegated to the responsible Strategic Director in consultation with the Director of Finance, to vary fees and charges during the financial year:

a)    Where the cost of food (including frozen food) and drink procured for resale or onward supply changes, fees and charges may be set taking the new costs into account.

b)    Where Strategic Executive Board agrees to a short-term change in fees and charges to ensure that a business opportunity can be pursued or secured; if the change is for a period or more than two months then the change should be referred to Cabinet (Resources) Panel for decision during the two month period.

c)    Where an opportunity arises to secure a sale by matching the price to that of an organisation the Council is in competition with, ensuring that satisfactory ‘price match’ documentation is maintained to evidence the one-off fee amendment.

d)    Where market conditions dictate, leisure membership may be varied providing that satisfactory market information is maintained.

e)    Leisure Centre activity prices may be varied in line with market conditions providing that satisfactory market information is maintained.

f)     Charges to partner organisations for support services may be varied.

g)    Court summons costs charged to council tax and business rates payers may be varied following default on payments.

h)   Where there is an opportunity to secure an act or event or utilise available rooms or halls for hire within the visitor economy services and the projected net cost of the act, event or room hire generates a commercial return (including taking account of secondary spend from catering and sales), authority shall be delegated to the Head of Service Visitor Economy to vary the fees and charges.  Any such variations will be recorded, along with the reason, as part of the normal audit process.  Details of any variations should be reported to Strategic Finance in a format agreed by the Director of Finance.

i)     Where the cost of poison procured for the purpose of pest control increases, pest control fees and charges may be increased in proportion with the increased costs.

j)      Where market conditions dictate, charges for commercial waste collection may be varied providing that satisfactory market information is maintained.

k)    Library charges may be varied to fall in line with Black Country Libraries in Partnership (BCLiP) participating authorities (Dudley, Walsall, Wolverhampton and Sandwell) in March 2016.

l)     Adult Education Service charges may be varied in response to Skills Funding Agency and Education Funding Agency funding allocations for the 2016/17 academic year.

m)  Charges to schools/academies for services delivered under Service Level Agreements (SLAs may be varied)

3.    That, in the following instances, authority be delegated (and considered via an Individual Executive Decision Notice) to the responsible Cabinet Member for the service and Cabinet Member for Resources, in consultation with the relevant Strategic Director or the Director of Finance as appropriate, to vary fees and charges during the financial year:

a)    Where the Council wishes to subsidise a charitable event that may not break even,

b)    Where the Council wishes to generate income from advertising upon Council property.

c)    Where new Information Commissioner Guidance on charging for property searches is clarified and a relevant decision of Court of Justice of the European Union obtained.

d)    Where the Council wishes to vary charges for bars and catering.

e)    Where it is beneficial to the Council to vary fees and charges to generate additional income that will reduce the net budget.

4.    That, should any amendment be made to the VAT treatment of specific fees and charges, authority to vary those fees and charges be delegated (and considered via an Individual Executive Decision Notice) to the Cabinet Member for Resources, together with the responsible Cabinet Member, in consultation with the Director of Finance and the responsible Strategic Director.

5.    That approval be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People and the Director of People to approve new fees and charges under Children and Young People Services.  The Service is currently undergoing a service re-design which will include the review of charging policies for some services.

6.    That any variation to fees and charges made under delegated authority in sections 2, 3, 4 and 5 above must be properly documented and records retained to ensure that there is a robust audit trail.