Lib Dems Blast Water Bosses

Water Bills Set to Soar By 10.7% is slammed by Lib Dems

 

Struggling households across North East Lincolnshire face a huge rise in water bills this year, while figures show Anglian Water paid out £96.3 million dividends to its company bosses.

 

Increase in household water bills from 1st April 2023 come amid the ongoing cost of living crisis that has left many local people at the mercy of rocketing energy, fuel, food, and goods prices. 

 

Anglian Water is one of the UK’s largest suppliers of water and sewage services, covering over 20% of the country’s land area, including North East Lincolnshire. 

 

It is owned by a group of private equity, sovereign wealth and pension funds including the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and IFM Global Infrastructure Fund.

 

Analysis of Companies House records by the Grimsby and Cleethorpes Liberal Democrats found Anglian Water paid its own directors £96.3 million dividends in 2022.

 

This is despite reports that Anglian Water has one of the worst pollution records in England and was given two stars out of five in the Environment Agencies performance rating, meaning it requires significant improvement.

 

Grimsby and Cleethorpes Liberal Democrats have slammed Anglian Water for increasing local household water bills by 10.7%, as fears grow more local people will be ‘pushed into poverty’ amid an outcry over raw sewage being discharged into local rivers.

 

Liberal Democrat Councillor Nicola Aisthorpe said, “Why should local people be left to foot the bill for water companies who have shown utter disregard for our local environment, while rewarding directors with massive pay-outs? Anglian Water seem to be capitalising on the fact that local people cannot simply switch supplier. We have no choice.

 

“Local Conservative MPs have failed to stand up to Anglian Water in our area, while recently voting in favour of allowing companies to dump raw sewage into our precious local rivers and coast for another 15 years. This a betrayal of local people who rightly want tougher action. 

 

The Liberal Democrats demand a “Sewage Tax” on water companies’ profits to create an emergency fund for cleaning up rivers. The proposal would be a 16% tax on pre-tax profits, providing a £340 million fund to fix the sewage system, which would be in addition to the current 19% rate of corporation tax.

 

Liberal Democrat Ministers have also urged the Government to ban bonuses for water company bosses until sewage offences are stopped, but the Government has not backed the ban, and the Labour Party seemed to stop short of backing the call too.

 

“Further delays will cause irreversible damage to wildlife and precious natural habits, while local households suffer with mounting costs that could see more people pushed further into poverty. We cannot wait any longer.” said Councillor Aisthorpe.

 

“My Lib Dem team and I want to put power back into the hands of the local community, and ask people to lend their voice to our petition calling on North East Lincolnshire Council to take action”

 

The petition requires 1,000 signatures for the topic to be debated and then decided by all Councillors in a Full Council meeting. The petition calls for the local authority to support river recovery in their plans and strategic decisions, and to work with Anglian Water for details to eradicate the practice of sewage discharge, while keeping the public regularly updated”. 

 

Cllr Aisthorpe explains, “We would sincerely like to thank all who have signed and shared the petition so far, as we’re now well over the halfway mark to the 1,000 signatures required to urge our local authority to take the lead. 

 

“Together we can protect our rivers”.

 

If you haven't done so already, please add your name to the petition below:-