To review the proposed changes to fees and charges across the Council for the financial year 2022-23.

Members are asked to refer to the report included in the Tower Hamlets Council - Agenda for Cabinet on Tuesday, 18th January, 2022, 5.30 p.m.

The Committee considered a report that detailed the proposed changes to fees and charges across the Council for the financial year 2022-23. The main points arising from considering the Cabinets deliberations and decisions on 18^th January 2022 may be summarised as follows:

The Committee noted:

v  that the level of inflation (Consumer Price Index - CPI 3.1% & Retail Price Index RPI 4.9% in September 2021), along with rounding up of the charge to the nearest 5p, 10p or other whole number for practical purposes have been key factors in determining the recommended changes.

v  other factors such as service demand, the projected cost of providing the different services, benchmarking with other local authorities and the impact of general economic factors including Covid-19 on the Council’s residents have also been considered.

v  that fees and charges are reviewed annually as part of the Council’s budget setting process. This ensures that they are set at the appropriate level for the prevailing economic conditions and represent good practice in terms of the Council’s aim to provide value for money.

Accordingly, as a result of discussions the Overview and Scrutiny Committee agreed that:

1.    the increase to market trader fees and charges should be reviewed as this will have a significant impact on peoples livelihood and ability to stay in employment (i.e. charges impacting market traders at Watney Market, Columbia Road, Whitechapel Market, and Bethnal Green Road); and

2.    the fees and charges should be reviewed for hiring of venues such as community hubs, ideas store, Brady Centre to make them more affordable and accessible for local voluntary and community sector organisations.

DECISION

1.    To approve the proposed changes to discretionary fees and charges as detailed in the appendices, subject to the conditions set out in Recommendation 4.

2.    To approve new discretionary fees and charges as detailed in the appendices, subject to the conditions set out in Recommendation 4.

3.    To note the revised statutory fees and charges as detailed in Appendix 2 to the report.

4.    To note the Equalities Implications as set out in Section 4 of the report and that, where it is highlighted in section 4.5 that a proposed fee or charge requires a full Equality Impact Analysis (EIA), this EIA will be undertaken prior to the introduction of the change to the respective fee or charge.

5.    To approve delegation for amendments to fees and charges, including those to take account of the result of EIAs, to the relevant Corporate Director in liaison with the Lead Member and the Mayor.

6.    To approve the commencement of the consultation process in respect of Street Trading fees and charges. To delegate the consideration of any representations and the determination of the decision to the relevant Corporate Director in liaison with the Lead Member and the Mayor prior to introduction of any change in fees and charges.

Action by:

INTERIM CORPORATE DIRECTOR, RESOURCES (K. BARTLE)

(Head of Strategic and Corporate Finance (A. Bannin)

Councillor Candida Ronald, the Cabinet Member for Resources and the Voluntary Sector, introduced the report. She noted that this annual report included statutory and discretionary charges although only discretionary charges were for agreement.

Factors such as the impact of Covid have been taken into account when setting out proposed fees and charges. Generally, the proposals were for increases in line with inflation but some were increasing by more than that or were being frozen.

The Mayor noted that there may be some fine tuning delegated to officers and there were also consultation exercises needed in some cases which also involved some delegations for final decisions. He proposed the recommendations as set out, these were unanimously agreed by the Members present and it was:

RESOLVED

1.    To approve the proposed changes to discretionary fees and charges as detailed in the appendices, subject to the conditions set out in Recommendation 4.

2.    To approve new discretionary fees and charges as detailed in the appendices, subject to the conditions set out in Recommendation 4.

3.    To note the revised statutory fees and charges as detailed in Appendix 2 to the report.

4.    To note the Equalities Implications as set out in Section 4 of the report and that, where it is highlighted in section 4.5 that a proposed fee or charge requires a full Equality Impact Analysis (EIA), this EIA will be undertaken prior to the introduction of the change to the respective fee or charge.

5.    To approve delegation for amendments to fees and charges, including those to take account of the result of EIAs, to the relevant Corporate Director in liaison with the Lead Member and the Mayor.

6.    To approve the commencement of the consultation process in respect of Street Trading fees and charges. To delegate the consideration of any representations and the determination of the decision to the relevant Corporate Director in liaison with the Lead Member and the Mayor prior to introduction of any change in fees and charges.