Agenda item

This report sets out the proposed fees and charges to be introduced for the financial year 2024/25.

Purpose of report

To set out the proposed fees and charges to be introduced for the financial year 2024/25.

Decision

That Cabinet:

1.    Adds a charge to the proposed fees and charges to recommend to Council, to read ‘Discharge of Planning obligation, approval of details pursuant to a planning obligation (Section 106 agreement) per clause £162 plus VAT’

2.    Recommended to Council the following fees and charges proposals for the financial year 2024/2025:

a.    Green waste bin annual collection charges

                                               i.     Increase of £2 on the first bin to £51

                                              ii.     Increase of £15 on all subsequent bins to £42.

b.    Departure fees for buses should not be increased from 87p to 90p.

3.    approve the drafting of the South Kesteven District Council (Off-Street Parking Places) (Civil Enforcement Order) 2023, with or without amendments, for consultation in accordance with the Local Authorities’ Traffic Orders (Procedure) (England and Wales) Regulations 1996 to incorporate the following recommended changes:

Stamford:

o   new tariff structure Monday to Saturday 8am-6pm

o   £3 charge for evenings (long stay car parks only)

o   £3 maximum charge for Sundays and Bank Holidays (Wharf Road Stamford exempt from Sunday charges)

Grantham:

o   New tariff structure Monday to Saturday 7am-7pm

o   1 hour free parking at all car parks (except Wharf Road car park)

o   2 hours free parking at Wharf Road car park

o   £2 charge for evenings

o   £3 charge for Sundays and Bank Holidays

o   The reclassification of Conduit Lane car park to a short stay car park

Long Stay Car Park Season tickets:

o   Monday to Friday weekly charge of £18, monthly charge of £65, and a quarterly charge of £170

o   Monday to Sunday weekly charge of £25, monthly change of £90, and a quarterly charge of £200.

o   Consultation on offering a 15% discount for employers who purchase 4 or more quarterly season tickets.

4.    Notes the proposal from the Finance and Economic Overview & Scrutiny Committee to introduce 2 hours free parking on Saturdays for Conduit Lane Grantham, Watergate Grantham, and Guildhall Street Grantham, and agrees to consult on the proposal.

5.    Instructs officers to draft the appropriate Order, consultation and advertising for the Notice of Variation to formally vary the South Kesteven District Council (Off-Street Parking Places) (Civil Enforcement Order) 2023.

6.    Agrees to receive a further report summarising any consultation feedback received during the statutory period.

Alternative options considered and rejected

To not recommend fees and charges to Full Council.

Reasons for decision

The Council would often require additional information to be submitted for agreement via planning conditions or clauses within the legal Section 106 agreement. This included details such as affordable housing strategies, landscaping information or details of road junctions. Whilst there were statutory planning application fees for many application types, including agreeing details reserved by planning permission, there was no such similar set fee where details were required to satisfy the requirements of the legal agreement. The Council was able to set its own fees and charges for discretionary services, including the monitoring and administration of Section 106 agreements; where the Council received a request to agree details reserved by conditions, a significant amount of officer time was spent processing and assessing the information submitted. In setting these fees, the Council ensured that they were proportionate and should not exceed the overall estimated costs of delivering the service. The proposed fee would typically not exceed the overall costs of reviewing and assessing the details submitted and would support the Council in covering its costs.

The green waste charges were set in response to ongoing service cost increases relating to vehicle, operational and staffing costs in providing this discretionary service.  However, the charge still remained low when compared to neighbouring authorities.

The majority of the discretionary fee increases were in line with the directly related costs associated with delivering the service and therefore increases had been applied. However, it was noted that there were no proposed increases to the market service in order to encourage trader numbers to increase particularly at Grantham and Bourne. Market Deeping and Bourne were not included in the consultation as they did not form part of the South Kesteven District Council Order 2023.

In relation to the proposed 3p rise in bus charges (departures), it was decided not to proceed and to retain the current charge.

A capacity study on car parks had been undertaken and the results were due. This study gave an overview of the use of car parks in Bourne, Market Deeping and Stamford. Any car park changes would be subject to the consultation process, in both Stamford and Grantham; it was important to note that the consultation was so extensive since it was not purely related to tariffs.

The Finance and Economic Overview & Scrutiny Committee at their meeting on 28 November asked the Cabinet to consult on free Saturday car parking for Grantham Market.

Further points were highlighted during debate:

·       Negative publicity around proposed car parking changes was disappointing, given the offer of 1 hour free parking at Grantham.

·       When the results of the consultation were known officers and members could do a cost benefit analysis on the feedback against costs to the Council.