Find a fee – OIC charges brought together online

The fees charged by Orkney Islands Council for a range of services have been listed together for the first time.

In all, almost 800 charges – for everything from allotment rents to car parking and planning fees – can now be  accessed here.

OIC chief executive Alistair Buchan said: “We hope the many people who use our services will find the new register of charges useful – very few local authorities provide a comprehensive list of this kind.

“Fees are charged for a variety of services. Some are set nationally. Others are determined by the council itself. They are an important source of income, helping us to maintain council services.

“Where before it might have taken sometime to track down the fee for a particular service, now some 794 of them are gathered together and easy to find on the council website.”

The charging resister covers the current financial year. A similar register has also been created for 2014-15 for comparison purposes.

According to the OIC, in setting the budget for 2015-16, councillors agreed that most charges should increase by at least two per cent to help the council address financial pressures such as an increasing demand for services.

Exceptions to this include school meal charges and fees for planning applications and building warrants, which have remained at 2014-15 levels.

Details of Orkney Ferries fares and Orkney Marine Services fees are not included but are available online at www.orkneyferries.co.uk and www.orkneyharbours.com