Water Charges Threat to Allotments

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richyrich7

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Re: Water Charges - Utd Utilities
« Reply #30 on: January 31, 2009, 21:46 »
This is a copy of the E-petition I wish to initiate with 10 Downing street any comments suggestions very much appreciated.

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We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to...

Reverse the guidance from the Secretary of State issued in 2000 regarding surface water charges to non household non business users



The Secretary of State issued guidance in 2000 that water companies should be charging non-household users that are not businesses including, community facilities (Which will include such as allotments, sports grounds etc), places of worship, charities and voluntary bodies. The guidance stated that those making similar demands on a service should be charged on the same basis

 This guidance and subsequent compliance by OFWAT has the potential to raise charges to such a point that members will face financial hardship trying to meet the new charges or the facility will no longer be able to function. The loss of which will cause many members of the community to be deprived of such facility’s.

 Further more we ask for the Highway water charge to have some mechanism for rebate to allow those facility's that have little or no load on that system to pay a reduced fee.
He who asks is a fool for five minutes, but he who does not ask remains a fool forever.

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Yorkie

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Re: Water Charges - Utd Utilities
« Reply #31 on: January 31, 2009, 21:54 »
Think it looks pretty good, Richy.  If I may clarify or amend a couple of bits?

This is a copy of the E-petition I wish to initiate with 10 Downing street any comments suggestions very much appreciated.

Quote

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to...

Reverse the guidance from the Secretary of State issued in 2000 regarding surface water charges to non household non business users



The Secretary of State issued guidance in 2000 that water companies should be charging non-household users that are not businesses, including community facilities (which will include such as allotments, sports grounds etc), places of worship, charities and voluntary bodies. The guidance stated that those making similar demands on a service should be charged on the same basis.

This guidance and subsequent compliance by OFWAT has the potential to raise charges to such a point that members will face financial hardship trying to meet the new charges or the facility will no longer be able to function.  This will ultimately cause many members of the community to be deprived of such facilities.

Furthermore, we ask for the Highway water charge to have some mechanism for rebate to allow those facilities that have little or no load on that system to pay a reduced or fully rebated fee as applicable in the circumstances.
I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days all attack me at once...

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Oscar Too

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Re: Water Charges - Utd Utilities
« Reply #32 on: February 02, 2009, 16:40 »
Just seen at the top of your post that we can modify your letter as needed,Ill be talking to my lotty officer to find out info, and send a revised version to my MP(even though shes as much use as a chocolate fireguard and didnt oppose our A&E dept being moved miles away)

Doesn't matter.  Ten letters on an issue is enough to get the issue right to the top of their agenda.  If she gets ten, and the neighbouring MP gets ten, and his neighbour gets ten, suddenly you've got a lot of worried MPs.  My MP only has a majority of 3000.  There's about 250 allotments in the constituency.  That's easily enough upset allotmenteers to whittle away at his majority, before you even get to the football players and churchgoers.

In subsequent correspondence, we can make mention of the fact that we know that at least (however many) MPs across the country have had similar letters from concerned constituents.

I shall be visiting the neighbours too - both their sons play football, and their dad had an allotment.  I might trundle off to the cathedral too.

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Oscar Too

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Re: Water Charges - Utd Utilities
« Reply #33 on: February 02, 2009, 16:47 »
And my allotment association has asked me to draft a letter of Bryn Pugh, legal advisor to the National Society.   Might be worth asking your local association to get in contact with him too.

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richyrich7

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Re: Water Charges - Utd Utilities
« Reply #34 on: February 02, 2009, 20:44 »
Think it looks pretty good, Richy.  If I may clarify or amend a couple of bits?



Thank you Yorkie, I've sent your version in for acceptance.   :D

Hopefully it will go live and will be open for 6 months, with that and letters to MP's  as Oscar suggested, fingers crossed

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Oscar Too

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Re: Water Charges - Utd Utilities
« Reply #35 on: February 03, 2009, 10:52 »
(I might regret this)

I've done a bit of campaigning, and have access to other campaigners.  If people are happy for me to do it, I'm happy to coordinate and monitor the campaign on this site, and try and link to other campaigns on the issue (sports clubs etc.)

In practise this would mean you letting me know what letters or emails you have sent, whether you've received a response, being happy to sign up for a longer campaign as I don't think one letter will do it, identifying other people affected in your areas, getting your local association involved and letting us know, all so that we can put together a coherent campaign and keep track on who has said what to which MP/Councillor/water company, and what results we are acheiving.

Before I go into greater detail, can people let me know whether they are happy for me to assume the role?


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richyrich7

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Re: Water Charges - Utd Utilities
« Reply #36 on: February 03, 2009, 21:44 »
E-petition now active http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/allotmentwater/

please sign  :D

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richyrich7

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Re: Water Charges - Utd Utilities
« Reply #37 on: February 04, 2009, 09:11 »
Great thanks everybody lets see if we can keep it rolling, we need to get more than 200 for it to get looked at and a response. 

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Oscar Too

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Re: Water Charges - Utd Utilities
« Reply #38 on: February 04, 2009, 10:52 »
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/ChurchWaterBills/

Found the petition relating to Church water bills.  40,683 signatories and counting.

Can't find one for sports clubs or other interest groups.

The whole petition business is ludicrous, anyway.  I'm not knocking your effort at all Richard.  However, history shows that petitioning as a way of changing policy or practise usually comes around in autocracies.  The whole "good Tsar, bad ministers" belief - if the Prime Minister knew what terrible things were happening, he'd stop it.  In my opinion, the petitions website was another symptom of Tony Blair's megalomania.  I'm sure N. 10 wish it would die a death.  Any good petitions such as ours are drowned out by the, frankly, sad, ludicrous, or dangerous. 

We'll win this if we keep banging on at our elected representatives, whose job it is to represent our interests.  I'll have some time over the weekend, if people are happy I'll draw up a strategy, resource list, and some templates.  Is that ok?

Oscar

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waddecar

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Re: Water Charges - Utd Utilities
« Reply #39 on: February 04, 2009, 21:10 »
I've signed.... and I got a reply from my MP this morning - Ben Wallace (lancaster and Wyre)  I originally wrote to him on the back of a scouting campaign. He has clearly been on this one for a while as he had a meeting with United Utilities back in August 2008 but it was about increased charges for churches.  I think I need to get back to him to bring things upto date and to bring in allotments issues. Will wait for your steer Oscar.

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wighty

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Re: Water Charges - Utd Utilities
« Reply #40 on: February 04, 2009, 22:50 »
This sounds a bit of a funny question but I have had my e-mail back but it won't let me click on it.  Do I have to remove the 'pop up' block first.

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Oscar Too

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Re: Water Charges - Utd Utilities
« Reply #41 on: February 05, 2009, 08:57 »
This sounds a bit of a funny question but I have had my e-mail back but it won't let me click on it.  Do I have to remove the 'pop up' block first.

Yes - the pop-up block deactivates all the content in your email unless you chooses that you trust the sender.

Oscar

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donald.cape

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Re: Water Charges Threat to Allotments
« Reply #42 on: February 05, 2009, 09:56 »
I'm a City Councillor in Carlisle. At our Council Budget Meeting on Tuesday we as Labour members tabled an ammendment to try and prevent a 270% rise in combined water and rent charges that was in this years budget review and proposed by the Tory Executive.

As you may guess the Executive blamed  United Utilities for the rise. They didn't know however that the water to Council owned  sites in Carlisle is turned off for the winter to prevent damage to the supply infrastructure, this can be sometimes for a period of 6 months.


I spoke at Council and pointed out that some allotments have hens, pigeons etc on them and water has to carried to the site to provide the livestock. Once again they weren't aware off this.

I've pointed out the section in the document on the Offwat website that refers to reductions in the surface water and highway drainage parts of the sewerage charges (4.7) to the officer who looks after the allotments letting etc. for the council and she is going to look at exactly what United Utilities are charging us for.

I'll let you know if I get any further.
« Last Edit: February 05, 2009, 09:59 by donald.cape »

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mikem

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Re: Water Charges Threat to Allotments
« Reply #43 on: February 05, 2009, 10:19 »
I'm a City Councillor in Carlisle. At our Council Budget Meeting on Tuesday we as Labour members tabled an ammendment to try and prevent a 270% rise in combined water and rent charges that was in this years budget review and proposed by the Tory Executive.

As you may guess the Executive blamed  United Utilities for the rise. They didn't know however that the water to Council owned  sites in Carlisle is turned off for the winter to prevent damage to the supply infrastructure, this can be sometimes for a period of 6 months.


I spoke at Council and pointed out that some allotments have hens, pigeons etc on them and water has to carried to the site to provide the livestock. Once again they weren't aware off this.

I've pointed out the section in the document on the Offwat website that refers to reductions in the surface water and highway drainage parts of the sewerage charges (4.7) to the officer who looks after the allotments letting etc. for the council and she is going to look at exactly what United Utilities are charging us for.

I'll let you know if I get any further.

I would have preferred a less party political response to this issue.   However you will obviously be very close to the thoughts and actions of your MP, and through him the views of the government, so perhaps you could let us all know what he and the government have already done to ensure that these increases in water rates for allotments, churches, sports grounds etc do not take place.

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John

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Re: Water Charges Threat to Allotments
« Reply #44 on: February 05, 2009, 11:02 »
I'm a City Councillor in Carlisle. At our Council Budget Meeting on Tuesday we as Labour members tabled an ammendment to try and prevent a 270% rise in combined water and rent charges that was in this years budget review and proposed by the Tory Executive.

As you may guess the Executive blamed  United Utilities for the rise. They didn't know however that the water to Council owned  sites in Carlisle is turned off for the winter to prevent damage to the supply infrastructure, this can be sometimes for a period of 6 months.


I spoke at Council and pointed out that some allotments have hens, pigeons etc on them and water has to carried to the site to provide the livestock. Once again they weren't aware off this.

I've pointed out the section in the document on the Offwat website that refers to reductions in the surface water and highway drainage parts of the sewerage charges (4.7) to the officer who looks after the allotments letting etc. for the council and she is going to look at exactly what United Utilities are charging us for.

I'll let you know if I get any further.

Thanks Donald - it's good to know that some of our politicians (of any hue) are actually working for us.

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