To consider the findings arising from the Task & Finish Group – Income and Charging and whether to recommend the report to the Executive for consideration.

(Councillor SJ Robertson declared a Personal interest by virtue of a family connection to a car parking business.)

The Committee considered the findings rising from the Task and Finish Group –Council Procurement and Local Employment and whether to recommend the report to the Executive for consideration.

Councillor EPJ Harvey, Chairman of the Task and Finish Group, presented the report.  She noted that following approval of the original scope of the review the Commercial Board had separately commissioned PriceWaterhouse Coopers to review the Council’s income management.  This had overlapped with the remit of the Group and it had refocused its work accordingly as described in the report.

She highlighted:

·         The implications of the charging principles adopted by Cabinet in June 2011, with a move to cost recovery for services.

·         The importance of improving the transparency for charging with a clearer understanding of what was chargeable and what was not.

·         The need to make clear what services were subsidised, why and to what extent and, align subsidies to the Council’s policies in an equitable way.

·         The need to explain to the public the rationale for charging.

·         The importance of providing the necessary infrastructure to allow income to be collected efficiently and economically.

·         The additional recommendation at page 164 of the report that a report be made to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee in October 2013, setting out how much of the projected additional income had been achieved and reviewing the intended and unintended consequences of new/additional charges.

In the course of discussion the following principal points were made:

·         That a number of issues were associated with introducing charges that would require careful consideration including: the implications of means testing, the risk of unintended consequences, already experienced with car parking charges.

·         That outsourcing of services also required careful consideration.

·         That if charges were introduced where, by paying more, someone received a better service, as in the case of recent changes to planning charges, it was essential that the charging structure was publicised effectively.

·         In terms of car parking charges a Member suggested that consideration should be given to charging for concessionary parking disks for the over 65s rather than removing the concession.  It was also important that the current concession to Councillors ended and they contributed to the cost of parking when on official business and that staff should also be charged for parking.

·         That the effect of the introduction of the recent car parking charges demonstrated the importance of consulting Ward Members and keeping them informed.

RESOLVED:

That      (a)     the Chairman of the Committee be authorised to finalise the report for submission to Cabinet in consultation with the relevant Vice-Chairman of the Committee to take account of comments made by the Committee and any proofreading corrections;

        (b)     subject to a) above the Committee agreed the findings and recommendations contained in report of the Task & Finish Group – Income and Charging and to forward the report to the Executive for consideration;

        (c)     the Executive’s response to the Review including an action plan be reported to the first available meeting of the Committee after the Executive has approved its response; and

        (d)     a report be made to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee in October 2013, setting out how much of the projected additional income had been achieved and reviewing the intended and unintended consequences of new/additional charges.