CaRT goes crazy

IT IS being thought that Canal & River Trust has gone crazy with it hiking up its drainage charges by a colossal 13,000%, after introducing new agreements.

The charges are for councils and businesses that drain their excess rainwater into the waterways, with CaRT sending out letters for 'water drainage charges' with increases as much as 13,000%, Alan Richards tells us.

From £29 to £3,800

Coventry Council, previously paying an annual fee of £29.04 has being hit by a new agreement charge of £3,798.50!

Thousands of people and firms with land where rainwater drains into the waterways are being similarly hit by the mammoth charges, with calculations revealing that some increases are of 13,000%.

Existing agreements terminated

The letters being received state that existing agreements will be terminated and new ones, with fees very often thousands of pounds higher, will be introduced.

CaRT states that the cost is for allowing rainwater to be drained into its canals and rivers from land and buildings adjacent to its waterways.

Previous agreements only allowed fees to be increased in line with inflation, but the self-styled charity has moved to scrap that cap, stating it is bringing fees in line with  drainage charges adopted by water companies.

We are told that people are considering blocking up pipes that lead into the canals, and digging drainage pits, full of gravel to avoid payment.

Legal challenge

The water audit firm H2O is willing to mount a legal challenge to the increases should those affected make contact, spokesman Graham Mann, tells us, adding:

"Prince Charles is the patron of this charity, I wonder how he feels about businesses being whacked over the head with these extortionate increases? They are taking advantage of a commercial situation and putting unrealistic charges on businesses and local authorities. It is almost blackmail."

However, Stephen Hardy, of the Trust, explained:

"We are reviewing rates because in many cases they haven't changed for decades. It might seem like a large percentage increase, but it's a reflection of how good landowners have had it until now."

At the moment the increases only effect Warwickshire, but are to be rolled out nationally in the future.

[It does seem strange that, with water shortages very often causing canal closures, CaRT would be expected to be glad of extra drainwater into its waterways...]