Agenda item

To set out the proposed fees and charges to be introduced for the financial year 2025/2026.

The Leader of the Council introduced a report on the proposed fees and charges for the financial year 2025/2026, which if agreed, would raise approximately £8 million towards the delivery of Council services.

The principles and criteria within the Fees and Charges Policy would be reviewed during 2025; the current Policy was attached as an appendix to the report.

There were both statutory and discretionary charges. Statutory charges were set by the government whereas discretionary charges were set by the local authority. There was the opportunity to review statutory charges on an annual basis. Agreed fees and charges would come into effect from the beginning of the civic year.

Many of the charges within the report remained unchanged from 2024/2025, these fee freezes included:

-          Bus station departure charges

-          Market stall charges

-          Bulky waste fees (despite the addition of an additional vehicle)

Building control fees were not yet published and could not be included within the reports pack as they were commercially sensitive due to building control being a competitive service. If agreed, delegated authority would be granted to the Deputy Chief Executive in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning to decide these fees.

One charge that was proposed to change was the annual charge for the green waste bin. The proposal was £2 increase on the first bin, with a £2 increase on all subsequent bins.

An amendment in relation to Grantham Cemetery burial fees was moved and seconded, with the objective of removing discrimination against or in favour of Muslims in the cemetery fee structure and lowering the overall fees for infant burials to match what had been proposed for Muslims. The additional proposed recommendations were:

1. Remove all separate fees related to Muslim interments and incorporate all Muslim-specific fees into the standard fee structure.

2. Add a new fee for exclusive right of burial for infants under 2 of £165.

Debate ensued on the amendment. In the previous five years there had been four Muslim burials in the Cemetery. The increased cost of a Muslim burial was due to the timeframe associated with such a burial; often for these types of burial a contractor was required. On investigation, the Council was not charging exclusive rights of burial, so a Muslim burial was cheaper than other burials. The financial impact of the additional recommendation 1 being agreed was minimal due to the low levels of this type of burial.

There were very few burials of infants under 2 but these fees were claimed back from the government. Therefore, reducing the fee would be counter intuitive.

A motion without notice was moved to refer this amendment to the Cabinet meeting scheduled for 11 February 2025 where an officer note could be received. Having been seconded this motion was voted on and AGREED.

A second addition to the recommendations was moved and seconded, in relation to food trucks whilst also encouraging the registration of existing businesses given the low current registration rate. The additional recommendations were to:

1. Add a new fee for Mobile Trader Consent (first 12 months) of £1.

2. Add a new fee for Mobile Trader Consent (next renewal of consent for businesses registered as of 31/01/2025) of £1.

Debate ensued on the amendment – the following points were highlighted:

-          The Council had issued two trader consents in the past year. This amendment sent out the message to these two traders that they were not being punished for doing what other traders should have done.

-          All members were reminded that there was a lengthy process to scrutinise fees and charges which all were involved in.

-          With the fee to register being proposed at the low level of £1, the idea was to encourage more people to register so the sector could be properly monitored.

It was AGREED that this second amendment be directed to the relevant Overview and Scrutiny Committee for consideration during 2025/2026.

Having been moved and seconded, and following a vote it was AGREED:

DECISION

1.    That Full Council approves:

• Green waste bin annual collection charges: 

- increase of £2 on the first bin to £53 

- increase of £2 on all subsequent bins to £44  

• Bulky Waste – no increase 

• Bus Stations departure charges – no increase 

• Markets – no increase

• Building Control – Delegate authority to Deputy Chief Executive and s151 Officer in consultation with Cabinet Member for Planning to set these commercial charges.

• All other discretionary charges to be increased in line with inflation.

2.    That the fees and charges associated with muslim burials be referred to the meeting of Cabinet scheduled to be held on 11 February 2025.

3.    That no changes be made to the fees and charges associated with mobile trader consent, but that this matter be referred to a future meeting of the relevant Overview and Scrutiny Committee.