Decision details

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST FOR THIS ITEM:

None

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

1.    Agreed the proposed non-statutory fees and charges to be levied by the Council with effect from 1 April 2026, unless otherwise stated.

2.    Noted the statutory fees and charges to be levied by the Council with effect from 1 April 2026.

3.    Noted that the Council’s draft 2026/27 Budget and Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) 2026/27–2030/31 assumed that the changes to Fees and Charges set out in this report were agreed.

4.    Agreed that authority be delegated to the Director of Corporate Resources in consultation with the Member for Finance and Corporate Services to make any subsequent in-year changes or additions to the fees and charges proposed in this report.

Authority was delegated to the Head of Highways and Parking to:

1.    Carry out all required statutory consultations regarding the proposed changes to charges and parking policy.

2.    Make all necessary traffic management orders (“TMOs”), having considered any objections received in response to the statutory consultation, to implement the proposed changes, subject to key decisions being considered by Cabinet.

3.    Where the Head of Highways and Parking considered appropriate, decide to either:
(i) not proceed with, or
(ii) modify one or more of the proposed TMOs to address any matters arising from the statutory consultation, or
(iii) refer the matter(s) to Cabinet for determination.

Reasons for Decision

Under the Council’s Income Policy, it was a requirement to review fees and charges as a minimum annually. Given the ongoing challenges facing the Council, this was even more appropriate.

Alternative Options Considered

This report summarised the conclusions after consideration of a range of alternative approaches dependent on particular services and relevant factors. As such, a range of alternative options—ranging from no increase to differentiated rates of increases or decreases—had been considered and were reflected in this report.