Aster Sewerage Charges - Update
Sorry this is a long post, but I wanted to provide an update on the work I have been doing on behalf of those people facing enormous sewerage costs from Aster.
Overview
I am now in touch with 36 residents across 11 sites, with over 150 properties involved. The vast majority are in my Romsey Rural division.
The situation in terms of what is being charged and the justification for doing so appears to differ between sites, but the principle remains the same, the main issues being:
- Level of charges and the justification given for the charges being levied. Extrapolating the cost out for these sewerage charges gives a cost per site ranging from £27,000 to £54,000!
- Lack of transparency in charging, particularly in respect of additional amounts levied and the split between Aster and private homeowners.
- Management of some of the sewerage plants. It appears that a lack of maintenance by Aster has resulted in some sewerage treatment plants failing, resulting in the need to tanker away waste which consequently is resulting in much greater charges.
Involvement from Caroline Nokes MP
I have spoken with Caroline who is, for the vast majority of those affected, their MP. Caroline has applied for a time slot for an adjournment debate in the House, although that is not yet granted. We hope that should occur before the end of October. If not granted then Caroline will ask a question in the House specifically about the issue.
Caroline has said: “Aster's charges are not just outrageous, but also totally opaque. This has been rumbling on for years, but some of the bills they are now proposing are just obscene and whilst we are struggling to find a way to stop them from levying the charges, there has to be a way to shame them into not trying to do this.”
Information from Aster
Some residents have begun to obtain spreadsheets from Aster justifying their charges. These are illuminating in providing details of the costs they are claiming and an indication of whether the sewerage treatment plants are working properly.
An example of the information provided is here:
Extra empty due to permit issues (Completed 26/04/2021) 183.45
STP MAINTENANCE 2021 5131.87
Extra empty due to permit issues (Completed 05/05/2021) 239.22
Extra empty due to permit issues (Completed 20/05/2021) 169.42
Extra empty due to permit issues (Completed 17/06/2021) 237.24
Extra empty due to permit issues (Completed 16/07/2021) 177.49
STP - Monthly M & E visit - March 2022 150
STP - Quarterly M & E visit - March 2022 429.17
STP - De-sludge - w/c 14/03/2022 - March 2022 500.13
STP - De-sludge - w/c 28/03/2022 - March 2022 392.92
STP - 4x Weekly M & E visits - February 2022 583.33
STP - Monthly M & E visit - February 2022 150
As you can see, this raises a number of questions: What are the permit issues? Why did they occur? What responsibility to Aster have to deal with the cause?
What are M&E visits? Why do they need to be completed weekly? Why are there charges for both weekly and monthly visits in the same month?
What does the STP Maintenance involve and if it has been carried our properly why is the plant not working properly?
What cost control/tendering has been carried out?
These are of course all questions I have raised with Aster and will happily do so on other sites too.
If you have not obtained an equivalent spreadsheet to justify your own bills could I suggest you request one from Aster? The email address to which a request should be sent is: [email protected]
Next Steps
Many of you will know that I am hoping to obtain a meeting with Aster. With my colleague in Dorset we have requested a meeting and were asked for a list of the sites about which we wanted to talk. That list has been sent, (twice now as the list keeps growing). As yet no response from Aster to the meeting request.
Consequently, I have also begun to speak with the media.
