Decision - Corporate Fees & Charges Policy

1.       That the contents of the report be noted.

2.       That the proposed Corporate Fees & Charges Policy, as detailed in Appendix 1 to the report, should come into force for the 2009/10 budget setting cycle for proposals to change fees and charges (other than by inflation) and in full from the 2010/11 cycle as part of the Medium Term Financial Strategy, be agreed.

3.       That the report be referred to Cabinet for information.

1.       Fees and charges are an important source of funding for local authorities, but recent Audit Commission reports indicate that authorities are not systematically reviewing current or potential areas of charging. This report aims to ensure that there is an appropriate corporate focus on fees and charges and a systematic approach to setting and reviewing charges.

1.       The absence of a defined approach to, and policy for, setting and reviewing fees and charges is contrary to Audit Commission best practice recommendations as highlighted in the body of the report. This could potentially be adversely reflected in the external auditor’s assessment of the council’s use of resources under the Comprehensive Area Assessment framework.