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Issue - meetings
Fees & Charges 2020/21
Meeting: 07/01/2020 - Strategic Planning and Infrastructure Committee (Item 112)
112 Fees & Charges 2020/21 PDF 111 KB
Additional documents:
Minutes:
The Director of Finance and Business Improvement presented the Fees and Charges 2020/21 Report to the Committee. The report set out the proposed fees and charges for 2020/21 for the services within the remit of the Committee.
The Committee noted that the fees and charges were fundamental to the Council in terms of their provision of an income stream and without them there would be a fifty percent loss of income for the Council.
The Medium Term Financial Strategy had set a standstill budget which had assumed that there would be inflationary increases for both income and expenditure.
It was noted that parking services brought in income of just over £3 million in the current year. However it was not proposed to put up an inflationary increase each year as this would produce very small increases which would be pointless and would irritate customers so it was proposed that the fees would be increased every two to three years.
In response to questions from Members, the Parking Services Manager advised that:
·
There was a small risk that some customers would
select the new 2 hour tariff for parking instead of the 3 hour thus
reducing income. However, to not
introduce the 2 hour tariff would not meet customer
needs.
· New machines are being installed which would accept credit card payments or cash.
Comments from the Members included:-
·
A concern that the rise in car parking fees was
being used as a funding source.
·
That an increase in car parking fees would have a
detrimental effect on trade in the town.
·
There should be more promotion of the car parks to
boost income.
·
Congestion in the town centre caused poor air
quality so should the Council be promoting the car parks in the
town centre.
·
The fees and charges were consistent with the
Council’s policy.
·
Climate change needed to be funded.
·
That the planning budget needed to be properly
scrutinised to ascertain whether there was sufficient funds going
forward for the Local Plan Review.
· That Officers look at re-scoping the street naming, development and conservation control budgets.
RESOLVED: That
1) The proposed discretionary fees and charges
(including breakeven
charges)
as set out in Appendix 1 to the report be agreed;
2) Officers
investigate further the scope of charges related to street
naming
and development and conservation control practices.
Councillor Parfitt-Reid left the meeting at 8.25 p.m. during the discussion of this item.