Decision details

The Service Director, Performance and Improvement provided the Cabinet with the report, which set out the proposed revisions to Council fees and charges levels for the financial year 2021/22 (all to be effective from 1st April 2021 or as soon as is practicable thereafter); and details of fees and charges decisions already approved that can now be included within the 2021/22 proposed Budget Strategy.

The Service Director spoke of the Cabinet’s review of the fees and charges levels as part of the Council’s Medium Term Financial Planning arrangements and it was proposed that a 1.7% standard increase be agreed to be effective from 1st April 2021 with the following areas of exception:

·         Leisure for Life - Nil Increase

·         Car Park Charges - Nil Increase

·         Summer and Winter Playing Fees (sports clubs) - Nil Increase

·         Meals on Wheels / Day Centre Meals - 10p per meal and then price frozen until 2023

·         School Meals - Nil Increase (and price frozen until April 2023)

·         Bereavement Fees - Nil Increase

·         Lido / Rhondda Heritage Park - Nil increase

The Service Director advised that account had been taken of funding levels received through the Local Government Settlement; the implications of decisions already approved; Corporate Plan priority areas; feedback received as part of the consultation process; and the forward projection of the level of inflation. It was explained that the impact of the above-mentioned proposals would reduce income by £185k in a full year.

The Leader thanked the Service Director for the update. The Leader commented that the position going forward, in terms of fees and charges, was positive and was pleased to note that the consultation undertaken had demonstrated broad support for the proposals.

The Leader went on to speak of the pilot, which had been approved in November 2019, to apply a reduced cremation fee for funeral directors offering a direct cremation in Rhondda Cynon Taf. It was explained that the Council had looked sympathetically at areas such as this, which had sadly arisen as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Deputy Leader was pleased to note the proposed continued 25% reduction to all Council bereavement fees incurred by families of deceased war veterans and service men and women resident in Rhondda Cynon Taf.

The Cabinet Member for Environment, Leisure and Heritage spoke of the importance of children accessing the leisure facilities at a time when it is safe to do so and questioned the financial impact of freezing 3G pitch charges, in line with playing field charges. The Service Director advised that if the Cabinet were minded to freeze 3G pitch charges, the annual cost would equate to £2000.

The Cabinet Members were supportive of the amendment and acknowledged that the cost was minimal in comparison to the importance of children accessing leisure facilities. Therefore, it was RESOLVED:

1.    To approve the proposed revised levels for all areas of the Council’s fees and charges as set out at section 5 and detailed at Appendix 1 subject to the following amendment:

·         To freeze the 3G pitch charges for 2021/2022 (at a cost of £2k);

2.    That subject to fees and charges proposals being agreed, build the net budgetary impact £187k (updated) for 2021/22) into the budget strategy proposals for consideration by Cabinet and Council as appropriate (paragraph 5.4); and

3.    To note the fees and charges decisions already approved and included in the 2021/22 proposed Budget Strategy (paragraph 5.5 / Table 2).