News / Campaign to reverse ‘unjust’ water charges
ISLES MSP Tavish Scott and Voluntary Action Shetland are continuing to push for a retrospective islands impact assessment into a decision from the Scottish Government to make public halls with alcohol licences pay water and sewerage charges.
The Liberal Democrat, who says the charges will threaten the sustainability of Shetland’s halls, will raise the issue again at the Scottish Parliament on Thursday.
Charities and voluntary groups like community halls which have a permanent alcohol licence were previously covered by the Scottish Government’s water and sewage exemption scheme.
But following a review in 2015 a new scheme has been phased in, meaning that some community halls holding a permanent liquor licence are now liable to pay water and sewerage charges of almost £2,000 – which could see Shetland’s halls take a huge financial hit.
The government said in response to concerns raised in a consultation last year on the charges that “as a nation Scotland’s relationship with alcohol is unbalanced and that the levels of alcohol consumption per adult are too high”.
“It is therefore clear that measures should not be put in place that facilitates or lowers the costs of alcohol sales,” it added.
The government also said it does not want to “give rise to unfair competition between licensed premises” by exempting certain drink-selling organisations.
Scott has been joined by Voluntary Action Shetland and the Shetland Halls Association to encourage the government to re-instate the exemption for halls holding a permanent alcohol licence.
He said the issue has now come to a head as transition measures following the review have ended.
“Halls need permanent alcohol licences to cater for the varied events they host. They are run by dedicated volunteers and rely on this income to keep operating. They don’t compete with other licensed premises,” Scott said.
“The Scottish Government’s indifference to our repeated calls to reverse this damaging change to the exemption criteria shows a fundamental misunderstanding of the geography of Shetland and the role of public halls in our rural communities.
“The Islands (Scotland) Act 2018 places a duty on Scottish ministers to give due consideration to the effect of any policy changes on the islands. We will continue to make the case for a retrospective island communities impact assessment into these charges.”
Voluntary Action Shetland has devised two reports highlighting the importance of halls to the isles’ communities, and the financial impact of the increased charges.
Executive officer Catherine Hughson said it is “yet another unjust tax on local communities who strive to provide much needed community facilities in their area”.
Scott will ask the government on Thursday whether any islands impact assessment was carried out when it removed the exemption for charitable bodies such as community halls.
The campaign against the charges will also be discussed at a meeting of the Shetland Halls Association in the Voe Hall on Thursday from 7pm.
To be eligible for exemption a charity also cannot have a gross annual income of over £300,000 or be a charity shop or other retail premises including a cafe or canteen which is open to the public.
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