Cost of Living Support Icon

Agenda Item No. 4

 

 

Please note that in Cabinet Agenda Item 10 “Neighbourhood Services and Transport – Proposed Fees and Charges for 2018/19”, there was a typographical error in Appendix 1, which was approved by Cabinet in Minute C272 below. The figures for Allotments in ‘Barry / Rhoose’ detailed on page 3 of Appendix 1 should read: “£5.00” for the 2017/18 column, and “£6.00” for the 2018/19 column. The Managing Director’s Emergency Powers have been used to amend and approve the figure to the correct amount.

 

 

 

THE VALE OF GLAMORGAN COUNCIL

 

ENVIRONMENT AND REGENERATION SCRUTINY COMMITTEE: 19 APRIL 2018

 

REFERENCE FROM CABINET: 26 MARCH 2018

 

C272              NEIGHBOURHOOD SERVICES AND TRANSPORT - PROPOSED FEES AND CHARGES FOR 2018/2019(NST & SCHL) (SCRUTINY COMMITTEE – ENVIRONMENT AND REGENERATION) -

 

Changes in service charges for functions managed by Neighbourhood Services and Engineering & Transportation for the financial year 2018/19 were proposed.

 

In October 2017, Cabinet approved the Income Generation and Commercial Opportunities Strategy. The Strategy set out that as public funding became increasingly constrained and under more intense scrutiny, greater emphasis had to be placed upon self-generated income and developing and presenting products and services that would resonate with paying customers.

 

The Council delivered a number of chargeable services through the Directorate of Environment and Housing Services. These charges were set on an annual basis and the report set out proposals for changes to fees and charges (with associated policy/process changes) for the departments of Neighbourhood Services and Engineering & Transportation. This Service Area was required to make significant financial savings in 2018/19 of approximately £827k. The projected income for the department for 2018/19 was £8.8m with approximately £1.3m coming from the fees and charges detailed within the report.

 

As part of the action plan to deliver the Income Generation and Commercial Opportunities Strategy, a review of all existing fees and charges was underway. At times of financial pressure, there might have been a temptation to propose high fee increases. However, this would not necessarily guarantee a commensurate income increase across all areas, as patronage of certain services could reduce. As advised in previous fees and charges reports, this was of particular concern with outdoor sports and services used by more vulnerable sectors of our community. These considerations were consistent with the Income Strategy and had informed the proposals contained in the report.

 

The proposed charges for services for 2018/19 were set out in the appendices to the report as follows: 

  • Appendix 1      Neighbourhood Services
  • Appendix 2      Engineering and Transportation
  • Appendix 3      Porthkerry Cemetery

An Equalities Impact Assessment had been undertaken as part of the review of fees and charges and could be found at Appendix 4 attached to the report.

 

To ensure that current charges reflected inflationary pressures, the report proposed to uplift the majority of service fees by the amounts contained within the attached appendices. Charges from Barry Town Council proposed for Porthkerry Cemetery reflected the existing arrangements at Merthyr Dyfan Cemetery. A number of charges were also proposed to be increased to better reflect the actual costs of service provision in a move towards full cost recovery which was one of the objectives of the Income Generation & Commercial Opportunities Strategy and to generate additional revenue where this was appropriate and the analysis of demand suggested it was possible to do so. In some instances, this required changes to the policy/processes involved and these were detailed in the report.

 

This was a matter for Executive decision

 

Cabinet, having considered the report and all the issues and implications contained therein

 

RESOLVED –

 

(1)       T H A T the proposals for Neighbourhood Services, Engineering & Transportation and Porthkerry Cemetery fees/charges and required policy/process changes as set out in the report and associated appendices be approved.

 

(2)       T H A T the removal of concessions to the fees charged for the collection of Bulky Waste, to take effect from 1 May, 2018 be approved.

 

(3)       T H A T the report be referred to Scrutiny Committee (Environment and Regeneration) for consideration.

 

Reasons for decisions

 

(1)       To approve the charging and fees proposed for 2018/2019.

 

(2)       To agree the removal of concessions for Bulky Waste Collections, the timing of which reflected the reporting process and the role of Scrutiny in that process.

 

(3)       To allow the charges and fees proposed to be considered.

 

 

 

Attached as Appendix – Report to Cabinet – 26 MARCH 2018