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Consideration was given to recommendation CE
24/35 of the Communities and Environment Scrutiny Select Committee
of 6 November 2024 in respect of proposed fees and charges for
garden waste subscriptions, household bulky refuse and
fridge/freezer collections, ‘missed’ refuse
collections, stray dog redemption fees, Tonbridge Allotments,
Tonbridge Cemetery, pest control, food certificates, contaminated
land monitoring and private water supplies from 1 April 2025.
 
Due regard was given to the set of guiding
principles for the setting of fees and charges, the legal,
financial and value for money implications, together with the views
expressed by the Scrutiny Select Committee.  The fees and charges applied by neighbouring
authorities were also given careful consideration. 
 
Consideration was given to reducing the annual
garden waste subscription for those in receipt of benefits and it
was recognised that this was a discretionary service that was
facing significant increases in cost, that the proposed
subscription price was broadly consistent with the price in other
Councils across Kent, that the service represented good value for
money, and that residents had a choice regarding taking up a
subscription. 
 
RESOLVED: 
That
 

(1)       
the proposed annual garden waste subscription of £63 per
annum for the first bin and £40 for a second or third bin, as
recommended by the Communities and Environment Scrutiny Select
Committee, be approved;

 

(2)       
the schedule of proposed charges for household bulky refuse and
fridge/freezer collection service as set out in 15.2.6 of the
report, be approved;

 

(3)       
the proposed charge for “missed” refuse collection as
set out in 5.3.3 of the report, be approved;
 

(4)       
the schedule of proposed charges in respect of Stray Dog redemption
service, as set out in 5.4.4 of the report, be approved;

 

(5)       
the charging structure for Tonbridge Allotment as set out in 5.5.2
of the report, be noted and endorsed;

 

(6)       
the schedule of proposed charges for Tonbridge Cemetery as set out
in Annex 1 and 5.6.2 of the report, be approved;

 

(7)       
the proposed continuation of the pest control subsidy for residents
in receipt of Council Tax Reduction Scheme as set out in 5.7.1 of
the report be approved;
 

(8)       
the proposed charge for condemned food certificates as set out in
5.8.2 of the report, be approved;

 

(9)       
the proposed charge for exported food certificates as set out in
5.9.4 of the report, be approved;

 

(10)   
the proposed charge for provision of services in respect of
contaminated land as set out in 5.11.5 of the report, be
approved;
 

(11)   
the proposed charge for provision of services in respect of private
water supplies as set out in 5.12.5 of the report, be approved;
and

 

(12)   
the above proposed scale of charges be implemented from 1 April
2025.