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James: Victory as Government intervenes to end the "rain tax"

James Arbuthnot this week hailed as a victory the Government’s decision to intervene to protect voluntary groups across North East Hampshire from soaring water charges, dubbed the "rain tax".

As a result of Government guidance, charges for surface water drainage were to be introduced by some water companies and many churches, scout groups and amateur sports clubs would have had to have paid hundreds of pounds more in higher bills, in some cases amounting to a third of their yearly revenue, in order to meet the costs.

But, addressing the Labour Party conference yesterday, Secretary of State for the Environment, the Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP said water firms would now be able to offer concessions for surface drainage:

"While all customers should contribute towards the cost of surface water drainage, increases in bills of several hundred per cent or more are clearly unaffordable for community and voluntary groups, and we cannot be in a position where this would force them to close. So the Government’s new laws will allow water companies to apply concessionary charges for community organisations such as scout groups, amateur sports clubs and faith groups."

The new legislation will be brought in as part of the Flood and Water Management Bill in the next session of Parliament.

Such charging by site area would have fallen disproportionately on churches and sports clubs which often have large roofs, a large open area or a sizeable car park. In a joint statement, the Scout Association, the Football Association, the Lawn Tennis Association, the England and Wales Cricket Board, the Rugby Football Union and the Church of England, said they would be "seeking assurances" from all of the main political parties "to make sure these measures become law".

James said:

"This is a victory for common sense and ends months of uncertainty for many of the voluntary groups which form the backbone of our local communities.

"I am pleased to see that a solution has emerged whereby those who do so much good in our local towns and villages are not punished simply for what happens to drop out of the sky. They can now get on with what they do best."