RESIDENTS are set to see fees and charges for council services increase with officers set to target a 10 per cent price rise across the board.

BCP Council is citing the impact of inflation as the reason for raising the rates including for car parking.

There is work ongoing to consider introducing new charges, such as overnight parking fees and more areas where payment for parking will be required at the “most popular sites”.

A report by head of policy Bridget Webber on the cost of living pressures facing the local authority and the community said the council’s policy should be “maximising our income to cover the cost of services”.

“The council raises considerable income, in the order of £30m each year from charging fees for services and goods, which represents a significant proportion of our overall income, which is used to fund revenue services,” Ms Webber’s report said.

“As a result of the inflationary effects on the costs of energy, materials and supplies we are working on the basis of increasing all fees and charges by a further 10 per cent on top of the current fee levels, including the most recent increases.

“A target 10 per cent increase for all fees and charges will be implemented by officers between January and April.”

The work by officers includes harmonising car parking charges and a review of “new areas of charges”.

Research will be carried out to do “more in-depth benchmarking” to ensure fees and charges are comparable with other councils while covering costs.

There has already been an announced increase in the garden waste service from £46 this year to £60 in 2023.

The report said it is now estimated that 30 per cent of households in the conurbation are fuel poor – a property with an energy efficiency rating of band D, E, F or G and the household disposable income after housing costs and energy needs is below the poverty line.

“The cost of living increase may get worse before it gets better, hence the need to develop longer-term resilience within our communities, based on the assets and strengths they have, rather than an over reliance on financial support,” Ms Webber’s report said.

“It will also affect businesses, which presents a risk of potential business closures or reductions and ultimately job losses.

“We are more likely to see these in areas such as the hospitality industry, which are dependent on discretionary spend, and in small businesses which have already been hit hard by the pandemic.”