Issue - meetings

Purpose: the Council received a petition for debate at Full Council on the 1 December 2022. The petition set out “We, the undersigned, call upon WBC to adopt the following policy without delay: WBC will ensure that it charges the correct amounts of money due to it for any and all services for which it levies charges and will reimburse any resident or service user who has been charged in error or has been charged where no charge should have been levied.”

The petition was tabled for a debate as it had over 1,500 signatories. Following verification by officers the total verified signatories was below this threshold so has become an ‘ordinary petition’. The response to the petition therefore needs to return to a subsequent Executive.

Resolved that Executive:

·         Notes the petition and resolves to continue to ensure that the Council complies with the intent of its policy framework in income collection.

·         Aims for the Council to provide the best possible customer experience, and recently published its Customer Charter, which details the service levels it aspires to provide. It also explains what recourse is available to individuals or businesses who feel these have not been met. This would include those individuals or businesses who believe that they have been charged incorrectly or have been charged where no charge should have been levied. It is not the Council’s intention, nor will it be policy, to issue and collect charges that are incorrect or are not chargeable if appropriate procedures and form completion have been properly undertaken.

This decision is eligible to be ‘called-in’.  However, if the decision has not been ‘called-in’ by 5.00pm on 14 July 2023, then it will be implemented.

Councillor Jeff Brooks introduced and proposed a report (Agenda Item 6), which provided a response to a petition presented to Council on 1 December 2022 requesting that ‘WBC ensure that it charges the correct amounts of money due to it for any and all services for which it levies charges and will reimburse any resident or service user who has been charged in error or has been charged where no charge should have been levied.’

Councillor Brooks apologised to the petitioner for the length of time it had taken to provide a response and commented that the constitution would be amended to include a four month timeframe for responding to petitions.

Councillor Ross Mackinnon queried how recommendation 2.3 within the report differed from the practice of the previous administration. Councillor Brooks acknowledged that he had not looked but was content with the statement as to how the current administration would act.

Councillor Iain Cottingham seconded the recommendations within the report.

RESOLVED that: Executive

·         Note the petition and resolve to continue to ensure that the Council complies with the intent of its policy framework in income collection.

·         Aims for the Council to provide the best possible customer experience, and recently published its Customer Charter, which details the service levels it aspires to provide. It also explains what recourse is available to individuals or businesses who feel these have not been met. This would include those individuals or businesses who believe that they have been charged incorrectly or have been charged where no charge should have been levied. It is not the Council’s intention, nor will it be policy, to issue and collect charges that are incorrect or are not chargeable if appropriate procedures and form completion have been properly undertaken.