Issue - meetings

To receive a report from the Head of Environmental Management on the implementation of charges for Street Naming and Numbering.

Deferred item in order to receive additional financial information.

By way of a report by the Head of Environmental Management (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) the Cabinet considered a proposal to introduce a charge for Street Naming and Numbering Services.

Members were reminded that under the provision of the Public Health Act 1925, the District Council has to provide street names for new streets and numbering for new properties.  The Act also gives the Council a duty to maintain and replace damaged, missing or illegible street name plates.

In considering a schedule of charges, Executive Councillors expressed concern over the lack of reference to the cost of providing the service or alternative charging options available to the authority.  Given their unease, the Cabinet suggested that the proposals be deferred until the next meeting to enable these issues to be addressed. Whereupon, it was

RESOLVED

that consideration of the proposals be deferred to the next meeting of the Cabinet.

To receive a report from the Head of Environmental Management on the implementation of charges for Street Naming and Numbering.

(The following item was admitted by the Chairman as a late urgent item under Section 100B (3) (b) of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985 to enable the impact of additional income on the draft revenue budget to be considered by the Council in December 2013).

(Councillor D M Tysoe, Executive Councillor for Environment, was in attendance for this item).

With the aid of a report by the Service Manager, Environmental Management (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) the Panel gave consideration to a proposal to introduce charges for its Street Naming and Numbering service. In his introductory remarks, the Executive Councillor for Environment referred to the pressures on the Council to achieve savings and to generate income opportunities wherever possible. The Project and Assets Manager went on to explain that a number of other local authorities, including East Cambs, South Cambs and Cambridge City had already introduced charges for their Street Naming and Numbering service and that the fees proposed had been based on those of the other Cambridgeshire authorities.

Clarification was received that in the case of new developments, the developer would be expected to meet the costs of naming and numbering. Furthermore, it was confirmed that the proposals did not include the imposition of charges for street name plates. There was a separate budget for this purpose.

The Panel questioned the legislative provision for charging for the service and in doing so, requested the Head of Legal and Democratic Services to confirm that the Council had the powers to make such charges. Whereupon, it was

RESOLVED

  that, subject to confirmation being received from the Head of Legal and Democratic Services that the Council has the power to make such charges, the Cabinet be recommended to approve the introduction of charges for Street Naming and Numbering services as set out in paragraph 3.2 of the report now submitted.