Decision details

This report seeks to make a small number of minor amendments to the list of fees and charges relating to the Public Protection Service which were approved by Council in February 2015.

The proposed amendments were highlighted shortly before the budget setting meeting once the papers has been published, but the advice received from finance and democratic services was to treat these changes as minor amendments once the main budget setting process had been completed.

The proposed decision relates to amending fees in relation to weights and measures, public health funerals and private water supply sampling and risk assessments.

The revised fees are detailed below.

·         Increase the officer charging rate for weights and measures stamping and verifications from £55 to £59 and from £33 to £35 where support staff are required (in line with national guidance from the Association of Chief Trading Standards Officers)

·         Introduce a new administration fee for dealing with public health funerals where there are funds in the estate

·         Apply the statutory maximum fee for private water sampling (£100)

·         Apply the statutory maximum fees for check and audit analysis (£25)

·         Increase the charge for water supply risk assessments from £310 to £320

I approve that:

The minor amendments are made to the fees detailed below.

·         Increase the officer charging rate for weights and measures stamping and verifications from £55 to £59 and from £33 to £35 where support staff are required (in line with national guidance from the Association of Chief Trading Standards Officers)

·         Introduce a new administration fee (£300) for dealing with public health funerals where there are funds in the estate

·         Apply the statutory maximum fee for private water sampling (£100)

·         Apply the statutory maximum fees for check and audit analysis (£25)

·         Increase the charge for water supply risk assessments from £310 to £320

This decision was published on 09 April 2015 and will come into force on 17 April 2015.

To comply with all relevant statutory fees and recent guidance, and reduce the delay in approving these minor amendments to fees and charges. 

These amendments could be delayed until April 2016 and introduced as part of the formal budget setting process for 2016/17. However this would severely delay the introduction of these charges and approving them at this time would enable them to be introduced in a timely manner.

Consultation on the original fees and charges took place when they were published as both Cabinet and Council reports. The amendments proposed by this report affect a very small proportion of fees with the majority being unchanged.