Charges for community groups

Following the publication of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010, a concessionary scheme was introduced for community groups that experienced significant increases in their bills due to the introduction of site area charging.

Your premises will be eligible for our concessionary scheme if the principal use is as a:

• Place of worship
• Scout and guides hall
• Sea cadets unit
• Community amateur sports club
• Village hall or community centre
• Cemetery
• Local Authority park

Customers accepted onto our concessionary scheme have their surface water and highway drainage wholesale charges capped at band 1, our lowest site area charge.

If you have previously completed an application form and have successfully met our criteria, you don't need to do anything. Your wholesale charges will continue to be based on band 1.

However, if you have not applied in previous years but would like to do so now please contact your retailer. If you successfully meet the eligibility criteria, your charges will be amended back up to a maximum of 6 months from the date that the successful application is received from your retailer (charges cannot be backdated).

Please note: places of worship and scout and guide halls are automatically transferred onto our concessionary scheme and do not have to complete an application form. However, if you believe you are not already on the scheme and being charged above band 1, please contact your retailer.

Schools

Since 2018/2019, schools which fell within the scope of the following definition have been eligible for a concession for surface water drainage and highway drainage, where these charges are based on a chargeable area;

An educational establishment which:

• is used exclusively or nearly exclusively for delivering education and tuition of students for any or all of Key Stages 1 – 5 or equivalent; and also
• has a playground facility attached.

This concession saw the introduction of 15 site area bands for surface water drainage and 15 site area bands for highway drainage. The site area band sizes are the same bands as under the 2017/18 charging structure. The charges for the site area bands applicable to schools are approximately 50% of the non-concession surface water drainage and highway drainage site area charges, with the exception of band 1, which is equal to the non-concessionary band 1 surface water drainage and highway drainage charge.

For 2017/2018, schools were given a bill credit of 15% against wholesale surface water drainage and highway drainage charges. The 15% credit applied to 2017/2018 charges only.