Issue - meetings

To consider a report seeking approval of the fees and charges to be levied by the Legal Orders Team for Public Path Orders, Temporary Closures and other work from 1 October 2012 onwards.

The Committee considered a report that detailed the fees and charges levied by the Legal Order Team for Public Path Orders, Temporary Closures and other work from 1 October 2012 onwards.

Members were informed that charges were made in accordance with the Local Authorities (Recovery of Costs for Public Path Orders) Regulations 1993 as amended by the Local Authority (Charges for Overseas Assistance and Public Path Orders) Regulations 1996 and DEFRA Rights of Way Circular 1/2009.  Charges were also made for written responses for public rights of way searches.

The report detailed the current and proposed charges in respect of the following services:

• Public Path Diversion Orders
• Emergency and Temporary Closures
• Gating Orders
• Property Searches

The fees from applicants paid the salary of the officer dealing with the applications and costs were monitored to ensure that they reflected the true cost of the administrative process.  The hourly rate had been calculated at the penultimate spinal column point for grade 8 plus an additional 20% to cover overheads.  There was no profit element to the charges and none may be levied. 

RESOLVED:  That

(1)       subject to any departmental review of charging policy or the implementation of statutory regulations relating to local authority charges, the following charges apply from 1 October 2012:

a.      Public Path Diversion Orders resulting in a confirmed order will be £1575.00 plus the actual advertising costs

b.      Emergency and Temporary Closure:   

a.      for an emergency 5 day or 21 day closure (not requiring press advertisement) the charge will be £165.03.
To extend the closure for a further 21 days will cost £165.03.

b.      a 6 month temporary closure will be £630.00 plus two advertisements

c.      for referring an extension to a temporary closure to the Secretary of State the charge will be £311.60 plus the cost of one advertisement

c.      Gating Orders: the charge will be the same as public path diversion orders - £1575.00

d.      Property Searches: the charge for searches will be £68.00.

(2)       any increase in charges relating solely to inflation be implemented by Officers without the need for Committee approval.