Decision details

Since early 2018 Cherwell has charged developers for allocating addresses to new properties and for administering postal address changes requested by existing property owners, typically when they wish to change their property name. 

The purpose of this Report is to obtain the agreement of the Lead Member to increase our unit charge when doing this from £25 to £30. 

Charging for this service is not yet incorporated into the Council’s Scheme of Delegations.  To amend the charge has therefore currently to be a Lead Member decision

Resolved

(1)       That the unit charge be increased from £25 to £30 per property

Charging for this service has not caused any controversy or objections in principle from the development industry.  The principle of charging is now clearly accepted by developers.  In the context of the cost of building a property the charge we make is very insignificant.  Cherwell entered the market with a relatively low nominal charge.  With the passage of time and increasing budgetary constraints a modest increase is recommended.

The alternatives options are:

·            To discontinue charging

·            To reduce the existing charge

·            To maintain the existing charge

·            To increase the existing charge

Charging for this service has been in place and accepted as a principle for almost three years and the charge has not increased in that time.  There is no reason to discontinue or reduce the unit charge.  Maintaining the existing charge is also rejected as there has been no increase since it was introduced.  Increasing to £30 will be non-controversial and is consistent with maintaining cost recovery.  It will generate little or no reputational risk for the Council.