Agenda Item No. 9

EXECUTIVE - 20 NOVEMBER 2014

REVIEW OF FEES AND CHARGES 2015-16

Executive Summary

It is the Council’s policy to review its discretionary fees and charges at least once a year.

Schedules of proposed charges for 2015/16 are attached at Appendix 1 (People), Appendix 2 (Place) and Appendix 3 (Rhoda McGaw Theatre).

Reasons for Decision

The regular review of discretionary charges ensures that the Council maintains its income base and generates additional resources for the provision of services.

Recommendations

The Executive is requested to:

RECOMMEND to Council That (i) the discretionary fees and charges, as set out in Appendices 1, 2 and 3 of the report, be approved; (ii) delegated authority be given to the relevant Strategic Director in consultation with the Portfolio Holder to agree any amendments to Fishing fees and charges, should the proposal of Angling Club proceed; (iii) delegated authority be given to the relevant Strategic Director in consultation with the Portfolio Holder, to have the flexibility to run special Careline/Telecare promotional campaigns (including flexing of pricing) to attract users into the service, subject to the overall cost of the Careline Service being contained within existing budgetary provision; (iv) delegated authority be given to the relevant Strategic Director in consultation with the relevant Portfolio Holder to agree respective fees and charges for Stray Dogs, Homelink Services and Mobile Homes once the outcomes from various re-tendering / re-commissioning of services is known; and (v) the relevant Strategic Director be given delegated approval to agree the application of and/or variation to charging arrangements in respect of Event Parking in Park.

This item will need to be dealt with by way of a recommendation to Council

Background Papers:

Sustainability Impact Assessment Equalities Impact Assessment

EXE14-332 1 Review of Fees and Charges 2015-16

Reporting Person:

Leigh Clarke, Financial Services Manager Ext. 3277, E Mail: [email protected]

Contact Person:

Chris White, Business Support Manager Ext. 3225, E Mail: [email protected]

Portfolio Holder:

Cllr John Kingsbury E Mail: [email protected]

Shadow Portfolio Holder:

Cllr Ian Johnson E Mail:[email protected]

Date Published:

12 November 2014

2 Review of Fees and Charges 2015-16

1.0 Introduction

1.1 In accordance with Council policy, fees and charges which are at the discretion of the Council are reviewed at least annually.

1.2 The fees and charges for 2014/15 were approved by the Council on 5 December 2013 and the forecast yields were incorporated in the budget approved by the Council on 13 February 2014.

1.3 As was the case when the 2014/15 fees and charges were agreed, business areas have been asked to look at ways of increasing yield through increased activity, revised charging or new charging opportunities.

1.4 Schedules of proposed charges for 2015/16 are attached at Appendix 1 (People), Appendix 2 (Place) and Appendix 3 (Rhoda McGaw Theatre). There are no charges associated with those services included within the ‘Us’ service category.

1.5 The Council’s “Strategy for Applying and Setting Fees and Charges for Services” was reviewed in October 2011 and the Executive agreed that it remained relevant and fit for purpose. The strategy sets out a broad and transparent approach to setting fees and charges. All charges are reviewed against this strategy and charges will be set in line with the framework outlined.

1.6 A commentary on any specific service issues arising from the review follows. The name of the relevant Business Manager contact has also been provided.

2.0 People

Community Transport (Sue Barham)

2.1 Woking Community Transport are currently considering increasing their single journey price by between 10p-20p with potential increases due to take effect in a two staged process over the year to limit impact on users. The Council’s strategic positioning on charges for Centre Transport is that it endeavours to at least match the same increases applied to Dial-A-Ride charges (albeit that Centre Charges are at a lower base charge), and where considered appropriate will look to increase charges further to narrow the gap in price between Centre Transport and Dial-A-Ride generic charges especially bearing in mind the level of subsidy that the Council currently supports Woking Community Transport by. After due consideration the proposal is to increase the return journey cost for Centres Transport by 20p (£4.40 to £4.60 return) from April 2015. Discussions with Operations Manager’s at the Community Centres have indicated that they consider that service users would prefer one increase rather that a two staged fare increase at six monthly intervals.

Open Spaces / Outdoor Sports (Sue Barham)

2.2 Freedom Leisure (FL) has been consulted on those outdoor activities managed by them under the Leisure Management Contract. Following their representations as well as local benchmarking it is proposed that fees increase by between 3-4%.

2.3 Current discussions are being held with Goldsworth Park Angling Club on proposals for them to take on and manage all aspects of fishing on the licensed waters of Goldsworth Lake and Brookwood Ponds. One of the Club’s objectives is to offer coaching and competitive opportunities as well as establish a training and teaching pond at Brookwood Country Park for young people who are interested in taking up fishing. The Club intend to implement increased presence at the lake by deploying Bailiffs who will collect money for

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day permits and annual licences. The Bailiffs will also be given additional responsibility, allowing them to build on their existing positive contributions in restoring and maintaining the lakes. It is hoped that if the Club structures itself in this manner then it will be able to open the doors to a number of positive opportunities for funding streams.

2.4 The proposed Agreement between the Council and the Angling Club is still subject to further detailed discussion although the intention is that the Club retain the income received from fishing permits and day tickets in order to develop and improve angling opportunities at both sites. It is proposed that the Council will, certainly in the initial stages, reserve the right to itself to set the Fishing Fees and Charges after due consultation with the Angling Club. The Angling Club have taken advice on potential fee levels from the Angling Trust as identified below, which results in no proposal to increase the charges for permits overall and, by grading the categories in a more appropriate way, will result in charges being below the current prices, which in their view should attract greater participation.

Current Proposed Club Charges 2014/15 2015/16 £ £ £ Season Ticket Adult / or No Key Card 52.00 50.00 Status & Concession with Key Card 26.00 25.00 Disabled inc. above 25.00 Junior (12-17 years) with Key Card 13.00 25.00 Junior (under 12 years) with Key Card 13.00 free Junior without Key Card 26.00 25.00 Staff Season Ticket with Key card 26.00 tbc

Day Permits One Rod Two Rods Adult / or No Key Card 7.50 6.00 8.00 Status with Key Card 3.75 3.00 4.00 Concession with Key Card 3.00 tbc tbc Disabled inc. above 3.00 4.00 Junior (12-17 years) with Key Card 3.75 3.00 4.00 Junior (under 12 years) with Key Card 3.75 free n/a Junior without Key Card 4.25 tbc tbc

Night Permits Adult 23.50 25.00 Disabled / OAP 23.50 20.00 Night season tickets will continue to be limited to 35 issues. Between 1st October and 31st March, season permits, excluding night permits, will be available at half price.

2.5 In view of the fact that the proposal is yet to be finalised and is still subject to consideration by the Goldsworth Park Recreation and Lake Users Group, it is proposed that the existing Fees and Charges structure in Appendix 1 be approved, but that delegated authority be given to the relevant Strategic Director in consultation with the

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Portfolio Holder to amend the charges based on the approach contained in para 2.4 above subject to the overall proposal for the Angling Club being supported.

Leisure Centre/Pool in the Park & Holiday Camps (Sue Barham)

2.6 Under the Leisure Management Contract arrangement with Freedom Leisure (FL), provision has been made for what is termed ‘core’ and ‘non-core’ charges.

2.7 Core charges are those fees and charges for sports and leisure activities which the Council has reserved the right to continue to set and include such activities as: badminton, squash, health referral, facility hire, casual gym use, public swimming, swim tuition, outdoor pitches, pavilions and memberships. Non-core charges are all other fees and charges which the Leisure Operator has the right to set having given due regard to:

 the Council’s corporate and strategic objectives for the Service as notified to the Leisure Operator as part of the Annual Service Planning Process and otherwise from time to time;  the Hard to Reach Groups set out in the Service Specification and as otherwise notified to the Leisure Operator by the Council as part of the Annual Service Planning Process;  the needs of the local community;  the requirement to develop a balanced programme;  the prevailing market conditions; and  where appropriate, any specific pricing requirements of third parties in relation to special events to be held at the Facilities. 2.8 The ‘core charges’ were increased last year although they had remained static for the previous two years, and therefore in some cases, comparative to other neighbouring facility providers, the charges are still currently lower than may be expected. Proposals contained in the attached Appendices therefore show an increase in charge (on average of between 3-4%) where it is considered that the market rate can bear an increase and where it is considered that as a result of the increase in charge participation levels will not be adversely affected. In some cases the Core Charges proposed have been reduced (to an average of 3%) from those presented to the Leisure Partnership Board by Freedom Leisure, following some more local bench-marking.

2.9 A detailed schedule of the non-core charges that FL are intending to implement from 1 April 2015 has been shared with the Leisure Partnership Board and Officers, and whilst there are still some finer details to be agreed, the Leisure Partnership Board were of the view that there were no significant matters of concern with regards to the proposals. The Leisure Board did however not agree to the policy request from Freedom Leisure for those in receipt of Annual and DD Memberships to have increased priority for booking ahead as opposed to Key Card Members as it was felt that such arrangements could be construed as Freedom Leisure moving towards operating a ‘Member’s Only’ club as opposed to ensuring open and fair access to all.

Arts Development (Sue Barham)

2.10 Under the existing partnership agreement with the Ambassadors Theatre Group (ATG), they currently manage and operate the Rhoda McGaw Theatre on the Council’s behalf, with all operating costs being met by them, and respective income generated from hires of the Theatre remaining with ATG. The current agreement does however provide for the

5 Review of Fees and Charges 2015-16

Council to retain the control over the setting of hire rates for the Rhoda McGaw Theatre in consultation with the ATG and Woking Drama Association (WDA).

2.11 Due to bookings for the Theatre being taken up to two years in advance, hire rates for the period up to and including 31 August 2017 are attached at Appendix 3 for approval. Following consultation with the WDA and ATG the proposal is to increase charges by 3% to reflect the significant recent investment in the venue by the Council.

Centres for the Community (Sue Barham)

2.12 In reviewing the fees and charges at the Centres, the opportunity has been taken to simplify the pricing structure to aid customers and colleagues alike. Generally four price bands now exist: Mon-Fri daytime / evening and Sat-Sun daytime / evening. A new charge has also been introduced consistently across the Centres to cover the cost of undertaking the laundry arising predominately from the Salon / Hairdresser’s activities.

Careline / Telecare (Sue Barham)

2.13 Careline charges are normally reviewed every two years and with them being increased last year (for 2014-15) there are no proposals to make any changes for 2015-16. However the current commissioning arrangements with County Council in terms of referrals into the service is likely to change in the very near future (a draft Telecare Strategy is currently being consulted on) which is likely to see SCC referring users into the general marketplace rather than referring into district and boroughs as ‘preferred suppliers’.

2.14 Whilst the impact of such proposed arrangements are still to be worked through in the longer-term, short-term there is likely to be a need for the service to be more proactive in the market place in terms of marketing and running promotional campaigns. It is therefore proposed that delegated authority be given to the relevant Strategic Director in consultation with the Portfolio Holder, to have the flexibility to run special promotional campaigns (including flexing of pricing) to attract users into the service, subject to the overall cost of the Careline Service being contained within existing budgetary provision.

Community Meals (Sue Barham)

2.15 Further to access to partnership funding, a pilot scheme will be undertaken by the Community Meals Service on the provision of a Tea Time Service in the current financial year, which if successful will be mainstreamed from April 2015. Proposed charges have been included in the Schedule on the assumption that the pilot will be a success and the service rolled-out.

2.16 Further to discussion with the HMRC on how the Council has been applying VAT to certain elements of the service, particularly within the Community Centres, a new vatable charge has now been included in the schedules which is applicable to those individuals who are considered not to have a full welfare support package. This, combined with a fall in demand for hot meals at the Centres and lunch club meals, has resulted in a net decrease in income of circa £29k although this will be predominately offset by a savings on provisions and an increase in activity on the sale of snacks.

Sheltered Housing Guest Rooms (Sue Barham)

2.17 The activity levels have been reduced as many of the Guest Rooms within Sheltered accommodation are not used, and it is therefore proposed that where appropriate the

6 Review of Fees and Charges 2015-16

accommodation be returned into main housing stock. Provision at Brockhill and Stream Close, do however continue to be well used.

Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Geoff McManus)

2.18 An upgrade to the emission and safety requirements for licensed vehicles in Woking has resulted in a reduction in the number of vehicles licensed.

2.19 In addition, the CO2 surcharge/discount element has also been removed from vehicle charges as approved by the Licensing Committee and Council, resulting in a further reduction in income.

Local Land Charges (David Ripley)

2.20 Local Land Charges income feeds into an operating account which, on a rolling three year basis, should not make a profit. From 1 April 2015 there will be a change in the structure of Land Charge questions and with activity continuing to exceed expectations, a review of the chargeable fees has been undertaken to ensure the yield for 2015/16 remains in line with previous years. Agreement to these charges is delegated to the Chief Finance Officer and they are provided here for completeness.

Domestic Pest Control (Geoff McManus)

2.21 As a result of the new joint contract starting July 2014, the cost of rat and mice treatments has reduced and it is now only necessary to subsidise service requests where a reduced charge is made for those in receipt of income related benefits.

2.22 From the first two busy summer months of the contract, pest treatment fees collected on behalf of the Council has resulted in a small surplus. However, this is unlikely to be sustained throughout the year as demand falls for pest treatments over winter months.

2.23 The new contractor agreed to continue with the practice of charging unregistered HMOs the domestic rate for rats and mice to promote public health in poorer housing sectors. As rented rooms operate as a business, the viability of continuing this approach will be reviewed in June 2015.

2.24 Woking currently subsidises the cost of insect spray treatments in small unregistered HMOs by £27 per treatment. An increase in the basic charge from 67.50 to 94.50 is proposed to make the cost of this service break even.

Private Water Supply Regulations (Geoff McManus)

2.25 The Private Water Supply Regulations 2009 place a duty on Local Authorities to risk assess and monitor water quality in private water supplies and distribution networks. The costs incurred will be recovered from the owners of the supply as stated below and up to the maximums set out in the Regulations;

Service Our fees Maximum fee as regulations Risk assessment Hourly rate (£40) x officer time £500 (each assessment) Sampling (each visit) Hourly rate (£40) x officer time £100 Investigation Hourly rate (£40) x officer time £100

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Granting authorisation Hourly rate (£40) x officer time £100 Analysing a sample as £25 £25 Regulation 10 Analysing sample from Recover cost to statutory maximum £100 Check monitoring Analysing sample from Recover cost to statutory maximum £500 Audit monitoring

Stray Dogs (Geoff McManus)

2.26 The stray dog contract is to be re-tendered before the end of March 2015. This could potentially result in the future revision of related fees and charges to the public for the stray dog collection service. It is therefore proposed that delegated authority be given to the relevant Strategic Director in consultation with the relevant Portfolio Holder to agree respective fees and charges for Stray Dogs once the outcomes form the re-tendering exercise is known.

Licensing (Geoff McManus)

2.27 Below are the proposed charges, which are in line with Surrey County Council’s charges, on activity arising from the Town Centre Management Agreement. Yield during 2015/16 is expected to be minimal.

Charge Type Limit Amount Licence to place building Valid for 28 days £73 materials on the highway Licence to place building Extension of the above licence for £73 materials on the highway another 28 days Licence to place scaffolding Valid for 28 days £102 or hoarding on the highway Licence to place scaffolding Extension of the above licence for £102 or hoarding on the highway another 28 days Licence to place a crane on No limit £145 the highway Skips placed on the highway Maximum of two weeks £70 Skips placed on the highway Maximum of 28 days £95 Pavement Café annual fee Setting out private furniture on the £104 for 3- highway. Variable cost dependent on 10sqm. £52 size. Under 3sqm no charge but per additional application must be submitted. sqm. Traffic Regulations Temporary notice (Emergency) £725-£734 section 14 (3) and 5, Day notice section 14(2) Traffic Regulations Temporary traffic order, section 14(1) £719

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Traffic Regulations Recovery of administrative costs re £719 Traffic Regulations Orders (TRO) in addition to variable advertisement costs Bus stop suspensions Per day, max charge £240 – provision £120 of a temporary bus stop is not charged but theft of furniture would incur a charge. Application to create a Covers the full application of the £181 vehicle crossover / dropped request kerb Initial assessment of Initial site survey for suitability of the £75 suitability for a crossover potential crossover Planting a tree on the Covers the application, purchasing £342 highway and installation of the tree Recovery of administrative Covers the inspection, supervision £347 cost re Damage to Council and the call out fee (£200) for Property. attending the site

Homelink (Neil Coles)

2.28 Once the external funding for Homelink (the Council’s Home Improvement Agency) has been confirmed by Surrey CC, the relevant fees may be subject to a separate review. It is therefore proposed that delegated authority be given to the relevant Strategic Director in consultation with the Portfolio Holder to agree respective fees and charges once any re- commissioning of services is known.

2.29 The fees associated with the Surrey Heath pilot project have been removed as funding for this work is no longer provided by Surrey CC.

Regulation – Housing Standards (Neil Coles)

2.30 The fees and charges in respect of licensing of houses in multiple occupation under the Housing Act 2004 have been reviewed in line with recent case law which has further clarified the limited costs that can be recovered. Consequently it is proposed that the HMO licensing application fee be reduced from £520 to £475, and the HMO licensing renewal fee also be reduced from £421 to £350.

2.31 The fees and charges for taking enforcement action under the Housing Act 2004 have also been reviewed to reflect the costs incurred and it is proposed that the charge for serving an enforcement notice be increased from £300 to £380. Where a charge for enforcement is not settled within 28 days of the invoice date it is proposed that a further administration charge of 20% of the debt be incurred.

Mobile Homes (Geoff McManus)

2.32 In accordance with guidance from Government, Local Councils now have the opportunity to charge for the administration and monitoring of licenses for individual mobile homes and the larger sites. Any charges should reflect the real costs incurred and the proposed level of charges continues to be reviewed with other authorities in order to benchmark any

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charges locally. It is likely this process will continue into early in 2015 to ensure there is a consistent, fair and appropriate charging regime in the future.

2.33 In light of such, it is proposed that delegated authority be given to the relevant Strategic Director in consultation with the Portfolio Holder to agree respective fees and charges for Mobile Homes once benchmarking activity has been completed.

3.0 Place

Environmental Services (Geoff McManus)

3.1 Green Waste Service - Continuing promotion of the service has assisted in increasing subscriber numbers to 13,400 at the present time and we expect this number to increase to 13,600 by the end of this financial year with a target of 14,000 subscribers for the new financial year.

3.2 Service charges for other Surrey Boroughs and Districts are shown below for comparison.

3.3 The annual charge was last increased to £45 in October 2013. Recognising that participation levels continue to have a direct impact on the Council’s overall recycling rate a small increase is proposed for an additional bin (with effect from October 2015) with no increase in the main subscription charge proposed for 2015/16.

Council Annual charge Additional bin Concessions? charge Elmbridge £33 one bin, £66 two bin N/A 50% Epsom and Ewell Bin: £42.50 each a year. Same as standard Sack: £10.65 price 50% Guildford £30 annual charge Same as standard price No details available Mole Valley £49.50 a year for each bin Same as standard (3 max) also £40 for a new price bin with £15 refundable No details available Reigate and £45 annual charge £45 Banstead No details available Runnymede 120l bin is £20 to buy with Same as standard £30 yearly. 240l bin: £25 price with £50 annual sub No details available Spelthorne £23 to buy garden bin, £49 Same as standard annual charge price No details available Surrey Heath 12 months: £53.95, 24 No details available months: £97.11 No details available Tandridge Same as Surrey Heath No details available No details available Waverley £40 annual charge £10 one off charge Stopped offering for bin concessions Woking £45 annual charge £20 (£25 50% proposed)

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3.4 Special Collections – The service is regularly reviewed to ensure it can cover related service costs without being subsidised. In the current year it is likely that we will not meet the budget and it is proposed to consider a small increase from £28 to £30 for the first item to reduce any potential loss on this service.

3.5 Benchmarking below shows that the service provided remains in line with neighbouring authorities.

No. Surrey Mole of Elmbridge Spelthorne Waverley Tandridge Guildford Woking Heath Valley items Full Charge £28 (£30 1 £34.00 £31.00 £39.50 £45.00 £39.00 £21.20 £34.00 proposed) 2 £43.00 £46.00 £64.00 £45.00 £46.50 £21.20 £57.00 £38 3 £43.00 £61.00 £64.00 £45.00 £53.50 £21.20 £57.00 £48 4 £43.00 £76.00 £64.00 £50.00 £60.50 Limited to 3 £57.00 £58 items per 5 £51.00 £91.00 £64.00 £55.00 £68.00 collection, £57.00 £68 and 2 6 £51.00 £106.00 £120.00 £60.00 £82.00 collections £84 per £78 7 £51.00 £121.00 £120.00 £65.00 £82.00 per year hour £88

No. Surrey Mole Elmbridge Spelthorne Waverley Tandridge Guildford Woking of Heath Valley items Concession 1 £24.00 £35.00 £19.50 £0.00 £14 2 £30.00 £35.00 £23.00 £0.00 £19 3 £30.00 £35.00 £27.00 £0.00 £24 4 £30.00 £40.00 £30.00 £0.00 £29 5 £36.00 £45.00 £34.00 £0.00 £34 6 £36.00 £50.00 £41.00 £0.00 £39 7 £36.00 £55.00 £41.00 £0.00 £44

3.6 New caddy/bin charges account for the provision of food receptacles at new developments, both houses and flats. Typically houses require one indoor and one outdoor caddy, whereas each flat requires an indoor caddy but shares a communal 140 litre wheeled bin. Delivery is included in the rates.

Car Parks (Geoff McManus)

3.7 Parking demand has continued at high levels in 2014/15 with capacity being reached frequently within a number of our main Town Centre car parks.

3.8 Parking fees were last increased in October 2014 and no further increase is proposed at this time.

3.9 Similar high demand for season tickets contributes greatly to the activity in Town Centre car parks and it is considered an increase in season ticket charges is appropriate from April 2015.

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3.10 The standard annual charge for a season ticket is proposed to increase from £1,700 to £1,800, quarterly from £500 to £550 and monthly season tickets from £180 to £200. Related emissions discounts and surcharges are proposed to remain at existing levels.

3.11 In respect of Car Park, it is proposed that a new charge be introduced in respect of Exhibitor parking, where the parking is related to those who financially gain from exhibiting at major events. It is proposed that for existing Events already booked such arrangement will not come into effect until 1 October 2015, but for new Events a charge of £2.00 for all day parking in designated areas only of the car park will come into effect from 1 January 2015. Such arrangements will be the subject of negotiation between the Council and Freedom Leisure Hirer’s with the relevant Strategic Director being given the delegated authority to agree any local variations to accommodate major events in the Park.

Markets (Douglas Spinks)

3.12 Market charges are now set based on the open market value of the rental units in a similar manner to the operation of Wolsey Place Shopping Centre.

Planning Policy Documents (Jeni Jackson)

3.13 The cost of the Green Belt boundary review report will be added to the list of planning policy documents for which the Council makes a charge. The main report is priced at £17, but this, together with a smaller non-technical summary, are available on the Council website, and consequently take up is expected to be low, particularly in relation to the non-technical summary which most people would be able to print free at home.

Development Management (Jeni Jackson)

3.14 The fees which can be levied for planning and other types of applications are set nationally. The Council has no control over the level at which these are set; the introduction of additional prior approval applications for residential extensions without a fee being levied has been unhelpful and could continue permanently given the indication in a recent technical consultation by DCLG. The Planning Authority has seen an increase in the number of householder applications, a decline in the number of small majors by smaller developers and an increase in the number of major major applications; this is due to the state of the economy but has a consequent impact on fee income.

4.0 Implications

Financial

4.1 The changes in fees and charges considered in this report are summarised in the following table:

Budget Estimated Yield Change in Yield 2014/15 2015/16 £ £ £ % People £1,253,666 £1,187,996 -£65,670 -5.2% Place £8,349,395 £8,967,541 £618,146 7.4% Total £9,603,061 £10,155,537 £552,476 5.8%

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Human Resource/Training and Development

4.2 This review forms part of the annual work plan of staff in the Council’s Business Areas. No specific training and development issues have arisen as a result of the review.

Community Safety

4.3 There are no Community Safety implications as a result of this report.

Risk Management

4.4 Where there is a risk that the levels of income proposed by this review will not be achieved this will be identified in the 2015/16 budget reports and monitored during the year in the Green Book.

Sustainability

4.5 There are no sustainability implications in the report.

Equalities

4.6 There are no equalities implications in the report.

5.0 Consultations

5.1 Consultation has taken place with the Woking Drama Association and Ambassadors Theatre Group in respect of the proposed charges for the Rhoda McGaw Theatre.

5.2 Consultation has been undertaken with Freedom Leisure and the Leisure Partnership Board on the ‘core’ and ‘non-core’ charges for the Leisure Management Contract.

REPORT ENDS

EXE14-332

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14 Review of Fees and Charges 2015-16

APPENDICES

15

Equality Impact Assessment

The purpose of this assessment is to improve the work of the Council by making sure that it does not discriminate against any individual or group and that, where possible, it promotes equality. The Council has a legal duty to comply with equalities legislation and this template enables you to consider the impact (positive or negative) a strategy, policy, project or service may have upon the protected groups.

Positive impact? What will the impact be? If the impact is negative how can

it be mitigated? (action)

Negative No THIS SECTION NEEDS TO BE COMPLETED AS EVIDENCE

impact? specific OF WHAT THE POSITIVE IMPACT IS OR WHAT ACTIONS

n impact ARE BEING TAKEN TO MITIGATE ANY NEGATIVE

riminatio Good Good

equality IMPACTS

relations

Advance Advance

Eliminate disc Men X Gender Women X

Gender Reassignment X

White X

Mixed/Multiple ethnic groups X

Asian/Asian British X Race Black/African/Caribbean/ X Black British Gypsies / travellers X

Other ethnic group X

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Positive impact? What will the impact be? If the impact is negative how can

it be mitigated? (action)

Negative No THIS SECTION NEEDS TO BE COMPLETED AS EVIDENCE

impact? specific OF WHAT THE POSITIVE IMPACT IS OR WHAT ACTIONS

n impact ARE BEING TAKEN TO MITIGATE ANY NEGATIVE Good Good

equality IMPACTS

relations

Advance Advance

Eliminate discriminatio Physical X

Sensory X Disability Learning Difficulties X

Mental Health X

Sexual Lesbian, gay men, bisexual X Orientation

Older people (50+) X Age Younger people (16 - 25) X

Religion or Faith Groups X Belief

Pregnancy & maternity X

Marriage & Civil Partnership X

Socio-economic Background X

The purpose of the Equality Impact Assessment is to improve the work of the Council by making sure it does not discriminate against any individual or group and that, where possible, it promotes equality. The assessment is quick and straightforward to undertake but it is an important step to make sure that individuals and teams think carefully about the likely impact of their work on people in Woking and take action to improve strategies, policies, services and projects, where appropriate. Further details and guidance on completing the form are available.

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Sustainability Impact Assessment

Officers preparing a committee report are required to complete a Sustainability Impact Assessment. Sustainability is one of the Council’s ‘cross-cutting themes’ and the Council has made a corporate commitment to address the social, economic and environmental effects of activities across Business Units. The purpose of this Impact Assessment is to record any positive or negative impacts this decision, project or programme is likely to have on each of the Council’s Sustainability Themes. For assistance with completing the Impact Assessment, please refer to the instructions below. Further details and guidance on completing the form are available.

Positive Negative No specific What will the impact be? If the impact is Theme (Potential impacts of the project) Impact Impact impact negative, how can it be mitigated? (action) Use of energy, water, minerals and materials X Waste generation / sustainable waste management X Pollution to air, land and water X Factors that contribute to Climate Change X Protection of and access to the natural environment X Travel choices that do not rely on the car X A strong, diverse and sustainable local economy X Meet local needs locally X Opportunities for education and information X Provision of appropriate and sustainable housing X Personal safety and reduced fear of crime X Equality in health and good health X Access to cultural and leisure facilities X Social inclusion / engage and consult communities X Equal opportunities for the whole community X Contribute to Woking’s pride of place X

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