Don’t Drain Us!

United Utilities has changed the way it charges rainwater drainage. Your church is now classed as a factory and charged on a factory non-domestic scale, based on the total size of roofing and car parks.Before 1 April 2008 these charges were based on rateable value. Church premises have an average rateable value of £128. United Utilities claims there is no additional income for them, but it means that by 2010 Bolton Parish Church will face bills of over £17,000 - a massive increase.The burden has been shifted from users with high rateable values and low surface areas, to customers such as ourselves with low rateable values and high surface areas.In many cases assessment has not been made correctly (e.g. churchyards and buildings which use soakaways have been included), resulting in charges 5-10 times higher than they should be. The onus is on the PCC to challenge this assessment charges are applied automatically at the full rate until this is done.On 16 September a new website will launch campaigning for the introduction of a new charity rate into the nondomestic charging regime. Visit www.DontDrainUs.org where you can also swap stories.There is also an online petition that you can sign at http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/ ChurchWaterBills. It already has over 33,000 signatures. Why not visit to add your name?

In many cases assessment has not been made correctly (e.g. churchyards and buildings which use soakaways have been included), resulting in charges 5-10 times higher than they should be. The onus is on the PCC to challenge this assessment – charges are applied automatically at the full rate until this is done.On 16 September a new website will launch campaigning for the introduction of a new charity rate into the nondomestic charging regime. Visit www.DontDrainUs.org where you can also swap stories. There is also an online petition that you can sign at http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/ ChurchWaterBills. It already has over 33,000 signatures. Why not visit to add your name?