Council Tax Supplement For People Living in Flood Risk Areas
From D Plake
Thursday, 11 October 2012
I was thinking back to the recent floods, and wondering how much the Council must have spent clearing up, and dealing with all that ensued. Those of us who live on t'hilltops, out of the way of the risk of flood must have contributed a fair old wedge of this years Council Tax to help out folk who choose to buy houses in areas prone to flooding.
With the Council now seeming to be acknowledging their recent failings and keeping the drains regularly cleaned out, and having a skilled, experienced, hardworking team of men ready to wade into the deluge at all hours, is it time the home/business owners took their share of the responsibility for making the choice to occupy such areas? Would it be unreasonable to suggest that they could be subject to an extra charge on top of the Council Tax?
Are hilltop dwellers happy to financially support valley dwellers' risky choice of location in times of austerity?
Would it even give the valley dwellers a bit more leverage when making demands of the Council in such times, if they were to be paying extra for the level of service that they demand when t'heavens open?
Genuinely interested to hear all opinions on this.
From Paul Clarke
Friday, 12 October 2012
My only thought on this was trying to decide if this was a joke post or merely idiotic.
From Maureen Brian
Friday, 12 October 2012
Among the "all contributions" would surely be the fact that failure to manage both the ecology and the drainage systems up there on the tops made a major contribution to the severity of the floods.
Perhaps a supplement from those who own that land?
From Graham Barker
Friday, 12 October 2012
This is rather like arguing that people with no kids shouldn't pay for education, or that people who live on the tops should pay extra for having their bins emptied or their roads cleared of snow. As individuals who make different choices we're all gainers or losers from public expenditure, but on the whole it balances out more or less satisfactorily - something that is self-evident to most people, I think.
From Don Baikal
Saturday, 13 October 2012
D Plake, on the subject, why should people living in unmaintained roads pay the same council tax as everyone else? My road is not maintained by the local council so there's no street cleaner, no maintenance of road & path or clearance of drains. Yet I pay the same council tax as everyone else.
I think every household's local tax should be calculated on its usage.
Wise folk like myself, who had the good sense to live in an unmaintained road, shouldn't go on paying for the feckless who choose to live in roads that are maintained at the council's expense. Especially in these hard times.
So lets hike up the tax of those living in maintained roads and give them a bit more leverage when they have to phone the council to complain about something.
From Anne H
Saturday, 13 October 2012
We all need to pay council tax for essential services - even if we don't receive a lot of benefit from those services personally. I'm sure the last contributor benefits from the upkeep of the public roads that bring the postman to his property and bring groceries to the shops etc. Things like the upkeep of roads, street lighting and - very important in this respect - clearing out drains etc are expected of the council. it's about maintaining infrastructure.
But whether it's the council's job to help people in their own homes who have been affected by flooding, I'm really not sure. If my house flooded because of a burst pipe, or a faulty washing machine, would the council offer me help? I certainly wouldn't expect them to.
From Phil Howitt
Monday, 15 October 2012
I'm guessing that if indeed the person who started this thread lives on 't'hilltops', it isn't Colden/ Blackshaw way - most of the flood victims a month or so ago lived nowhere near a river, apart from the temporary ones which flowed through their houses from the fields above, so D Plake might get stung him/herself anyway if we're suggesting supplements.
From Andy M
Tuesday, 16 October 2012
Speaking as a hill top dweller I'm more than happy to fund any future additional charges - if there are any - it would never occur to me to discriminate in the way you describe
Maybe as a 'higher up' denizen you could do your fair share of keeping hillside drainage ditches clear etc?
From H Gregg
Tuesday, 16 October 2012
Come on everyone! Paul Clarke had it right on both counts in his response at the top of the thread.
Don't you think it's funny (not!!!!) that the original post was from someone calling themselves "Deep Lake"
From Andy M
Wednesday, 17 October 2012
Missed that! - but you never know with this forum - several I've thought couldn't be that serious were, in fact, that serious!
From Chris Barnett
Wednesday, 17 October 2012
Lake Baikal, world's deepest lake . . . . just wondered if there might be a connection . . .
From Wyn de Mere (aka Ron Taylor)
Wednesday, 17 October 2012
Good to see some Hebden Bridge people have regained their sense of humour.
From Emma S
Thursday, 18 October 2012
What a smug opening post from D Plake.
I hate to shatter your illusion D Plake, but people on the tops are not immune to getting flooded, as I can unfortunately attest. You could be next, as could anyone. All it takes is a surge of run off water going in the wrong direction.
Messages from names which are not genuine risk not being posted - Ed