Cllr Darren Mackenzie: Autumn a busy time for the Hastings finance team

Autumn is a busy time for the council’s finance team as they work with officers from across the council to start to put together our budget for next year. Our November Cabinet meeting will see us discussing and agreeing fees and charges for 2027-28, which make up around 14% of our income here at Hastings Borough Council. 

Officers and lead councillors have looked at more than 600 fees and charges as part of reviewing these. We know that finances are tight for everyone, the increased cost of living is affecting everyone, including us as a council in terms of how much it costs us to deliver services.  

These conversations are always difficult as we look to make sure our charges cover our costs for statutory services like environmental health and licensing services and allotments, but are balanced with affordability during the cost-of-living crisis and rising inflation.  

With this in mind, we are proposing to freeze many of our fees and charges, and those we are proposing to increase, we are keeping to a minimum to minimise the impact on residents. 

We are proposing to freeze things like pay-and-display car park fees, cliff railway tickets, most of our sports fees, and most of the fees for Hastings Museum & Art Gallery.  

Where we are proposing increases, these have been carefully considered in terms of service demand, the cost to deliver the service, economic conditions and the need to support vulnerable groups.  

Increases have been kept to a minimum, with most increases at around 3%, which is about the current rate of inflation. Many of these increases are simply to cover the increased cost of delivering the service, whether it's additional costs of fuel for vehicles, or equipment. 

Where we have increased charges, we have maintained concessionary fees, both for residents for services like pest control and for charities and not-for-profit in the case of events management fees and the museum. 

Some of the statutory fees and charges we charge are set nationally for some services, including the cost of planning applications and some licensing fees and charges. 

Our fees and charges have to be agreed by the council's Cabinet. The meeting on Monday 9 November, from 6pm, will be livestreamed on our website, and you can also come along in person to Muriel Matters House to attend the meeting. The final papers for the Cabinet meeting will be available online from Friday 30 October. 

Fees and charges are the first piece of the budget for 2027-28, which will be finalised and agreed in February by Cabinet and Full Council.