By Cllr Nick Adams-King
**Cowleas Cottages, Awbridge - Aster sewerage charges**
An update about the charges proposed by Aster for those residents of Awbridge who are connected to the Cowleas Cottages sewerage treatment plant.
I have had a response to the questions I raised with Aster last week about the charges they have sent out:
1. How many properties connected?
Answer: 56 homes plus the school.
2. Has the proportion for the school been properly taken into account in the bills sent for tankering and quote for repair?
Answer: No. So a fresh calculation is required which REDUCES the both figures for residents.
For the repair quote the quote per property should be £265.90 not £348.31
For the cost of tankering, the amount payable per property should be £186.55 not £244.37
3. Is there a sinking fund to contribute to the repair?
Answer: No. (My next question of course is why not, and therefore does that not raise an obligation on Aster's part to contribute to the repair)
4. Tankering costs - they reported needing them weekly but were tankering waste almost daily in March.
Answer: A partial fix has been implemented that has greatly decreased the amount of tankering needed, I've attached the amounts removed from the plant below, which means the cost should be much less in the interim until the plant is properly fixed. As you can see, only one tanker journey in April in comparison to 11 during March.
I hope that helps. I'm still seeking further clarification on the issue of repair cost and exactly where the liability lies and will let you know how I get on.