items tagged with Cheadle

Today, Bill Cash MP, called for immediate action to be taken to protect voluntary groups – across Stone, Trentham, Cheadle, Hixon, Eccleshall, Madeley, Ashley, Gnosall, and the surrounding villages – from soaring water charges.

 

Charges for surface water drainage are being introduced by some water companies, dubbed the ‘rain tax’. Many churches, scout groups and amateur sports clubs will pay hundreds of pounds more in higher bills, in some cases amounting to a third of their yearly revenue.

 

Bill Cash said, "I am told the new charges could cost the Church of England £15 million a year, and the Scout Association estimate that the changes could cost scout huts £500 a year – an equivalent of 25 to 30 per cent of their yearly income. Such voluntary groups currently have exemptions or discounts for business rates, but this will not extend to water rates."

 

Notes:

 

NEW ‘RAIN TAX’ ON VOLUNTARY GROUPS

 

Surface water charging: Surface water drainage is the charge from water companies for water draining into their sewers from roofs, paths, car parks etc.  It is often billed in conjunction with highways drainage, but if taken separately accounts for around 9 per cent of the average bill (16 per cent if combined with highways drainage).

 

Water quango guidance: In 2003, Ofwat’s head of tariffs wrote to all water companies recommending a move to site-area charging, with specific reference to condition E of their license.  Condition E is the duty that “no undue preference is shown, and that there is no undue discrimination in the fixing…of water and drainage charges”.  Ofwat have contacted all water companies and asked them to review their charging schemes by 2010. 

 

According to Ofwat: “There is no reason why a church or charity should not pay for surface water drainage in the same way as a business as both the church, charity and the business would be making a similar demand on the service.  We believe that charging all non-household premises by site area complies with the Secretary of State's guidance.”

 

 

Impact on churches, Scout and Guide groups and community amateur sports clubs: The Scout Association has launched a campaign to ‘Stop the Rain Tax’ (http://scouts.org.uk/water).  They estimate that the changes could cost scout huts £500 a year, and that the cost for some groups could represent 25-30 per cent of their income.

 

The Don’t Drain Us campaign (www.dontdrainus.org) have estimated that the annual cost to the Church of England of moving to site area charging throughout England  would be £15 million.  This is made up of approximately £10 million for highway drainage and £5 million for surface water. 

Press release 28/07/09       

 

In response to the ongoing case of the half-erected Vodafone mast, MP for Cheadle, Bill Cash said: “I have insisted that Staffordshire Moorlands District Council issues an enforcement notice on the Vodafone phone mast at Brookhouse Way in Cheadle. On behalf of local constituents, I wrote to the District Council last week, asking them to do so. The mast is now half-erected and it has yet to be removed whilst Vodafone is still trying to gain permission. An enforcement notice needs to be issued to resolve this problem properly.”

 

In response to the change of site for a Vodaphone mast built in Cheadle, local MP, Bill Cash said “My constituents have been astonished to find that the Vodaphone mobile telephone mast in Cheadle may well be moved to a site directly opposite the original one.

 

“This is said to be a compromise with the phone company. Why use this site at all? I have sent hundreds of objections from local residents making clear how unsuitable the local area is for this mast.

 

“The Council decision rejected plans for this mast yet it has been half-built and now moved over the road. My constituents are still stuck with it on their doorsteps within the immediate locality to the original one. 

 

“This is not a better solution for all residents living or working in the vicinity. Staffordshire Moorlands District Council needs to issue an enforcement notice.”

 

Following correspondence with the Chief Executive of First Group on behalf of local constituents, Bill Cash MP has written to Staffordshire County Council to ask what can be done to deal with the rising fare prices on the 32A/32 bus route. The First service is under contract to the County Council.

 

Cash has asked Staffordshire County Council to address issues relating to the bus service which runs between Cheadle and Uttoxeter and also for solutions on what can be resolved in relation to the rocketing price of fares on this bus service, which also transports summertime visitors to Alton Towers.

After major Cheadle housing plans were thrown out, MP for Cheadle, Bill Cash, said:

 

“I am extremely glad to hear that the Staffordshire Moorlands District Council Group leadership have agreed to revisit the whole question of the Mobberley Farm plans. It is a welcome step that these major housing developments have been thrown out.”

 

Bill Cash opposed the proposals in 2001 and had a meeting with the leaders of the Mobberley Farm opposition group, the SWAT committee, on Wednesday 12th August, following earlier discussions in Cheadle. He is glad that a decision had been made. He disagreed with the proposals, as he said yesterday on Radio Stoke.