Barbara has welcomed news that increased water charges for community, church and scout groups have been stopped in the future by the passing of the Government’s Flood and Water Management Bill. This has led to United Utilities freezing charges for the groups for a year before the new Bill becomes law.

Barbara successfully campaigned for many months to stop big increases in charges for local groups due to the new site area charging system adopted by United Utilities. Some local churches, amateur sports clubs and scout and guide groups faced bills of thousands of pounds more every year.

Barbara had meetings with Minister Huw Irranca-Davies and spoke at a national lobby meeting in Parliament by Scout groups. She also supported Labour MP’s Mike Hall’s Surface Water and Highway Drainage Charges (Exemption) Bill.

Following Barbara’s campaign, the Government decided to legislate to allow water companies to give concessionary charges in future to community and voluntary groups. The Flood and Water Management Bill has now passed all its stages in the House of Commons.

Before the Bill becomes law, United Utilities have announced they will extend for another year the moratorium on the new site area charging policy for local places of worship, scout and guide associations and community amateur sports clubs. The charges freeze will also be extended to eligible village halls and community centres.

Barbara said:

“The Government’s Flood and Water Management Bill will soon allow water companies to run concessionary schemes and this freeze on unfair new charges will mean that amateur sports clubs, churches and local groups don’t have to find extra funding for their water bills in the meantime.

“It was very unpopular when the company tried to introduce new charges and I am glad that my campaigning with other MPs and the Scout Association has proved so successful. I welcome the short term freeze and I want to thank the Minister for listening to the campaign and agreeing to put legislation through Parliament to stop any return to unfair charges for these groups in the future.

“United Utilities has listened to me and to others campaigning against their unfair charging system and they now admit that it was causing significant concern to the groups affected. I welcome the news that they are extending for another year their freeze on the new charges for churches, sport clubs and scout group plus village halls and community centres.”

Barbara with Scouts at the national lobby meeting in Parliament to campaign against the unfair water charges