Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Interim Section 151 Officer, (copy enclosed).

The Committee considered the report of the Interim Section 151 Officer seeking review of the fees and charges policies that have been put forward by Officers prior to approval of the 2020 / 21 budget and updated Medium Term Financial Strategy in January 2020.

Appendix A to the report set out the current position for each fees and charges policy including any concessions being given, further financial information and comments.  The report highlighted a number of areas for consideration, including changes to policy and new policies.

In response to a number of questions and comments, the Officers present provided Members’ with the following information:

·                 It was clarified that the proposal to introduce charging for parking on the Hythe Quay related the Council owned land at the Quay and not the public highway.  The Director of Service Delivery explained that the proposed change to charging was to try and regulate cars in the area in a more coherent way.  In response to a question regarding whether a car parking place was included as part of a mooring fee, the Director advised he would need to look into this and advise Members accordingly.  The Interim Section 151 Officer provided further detail regarding a fair funding review which had been carried out by the Government and how income relating to car parking was now included as part of the Government formula for future funding for Local Government.

·                 It was noted that in respect of the change proposed in relation to Recreational Avoidance and Mitigation Strategy (RAMS) the Council would act as a collection agency for monies in the same way that it did for Section 106 agreements.  The Director of Strategy, Performance and Governance provided some additional information regarding where the monies collected may go but how they would be spent on projects identified within the RAMs mitigation measures.

RECOMMENDED that the fees and charged policies outlined in APPENDIX 3 to these Minutes be reviewed and a set of policies for Officers to follow be adopted.

Councillors A L Hull and Miss S White left the meeting at this point.