Issue - meetings

To seek agreement to the use of some specific charges in Hartsholme Country Park, in advance of the Council formally agreeing the Council’s full table of fees and charges for the year ahead.

To seek an adjustment of the way that fees and charges for some areas of the Council’s business were set, moving to a two year proposal, so that customers could have certainty in advance therefore permitting earlier bookings to be taken.

To seek agreement to support the Council’s channel shift initiatives by taking card payments only.

Decision

(1)       That the principle of setting some fees two years ahead where there was a business need be endorsed and that this be reflected in future fees and charges setting reports to the Council.

(2)       That the fees and charges set out in Appendix A be supported and referred to the Council for consideration.

Alternative options considered and rejected were set out in paragraph seven of the report.

Fees and charges were currently set on a year-by-year basis, however, in some trading areas where advance bookings were taken it had been identified that there was demand for customers to book and pay on timetables not compatible with the Council’s current process. The ability to advertise the availability of bookings a long way ahead was important, which the current annual process of setting fees and charges did not currently support.

It was proposed that the table of fees and charges for Hartsholme Country Park was amended to make recommendations for two years. These had reference to the normal procedure of inflation based on 3% annually, but were also mindful of market pressures from competition, had reference to the quality of facilities offered and took into account customer feedback. The revised schedule of fees and charges as proposed was set out in Appendix A of the report.

The proposal to only accept card payments for bookings was in line with the Council’s channel shift initiatives.