Lib Dems Welcome Reduction in Crippling Cornish Water Bills

4.43.01pm GMT Mon 22nd Jan 2007

Together with her four Liberal Democrat parliamentary colleagues, Julia Goldsworthy MP has led the campaign against high South West Water bills

A team of senior Liberal Democrats, including County Council Leader David Whalley, key District Councillors and all five of Cornwall's MPs met this weekend to plan for elections to District, Town and Parish Councils across the County, due to take place in May.

The team were able to celebrate a new win in their campaign - promoted at a similar event last year - to reduce local water bills. South West Water announced last week that it would pilot a scheme called "Watercare" to cut crippling charges for Cornwall's most hard-up.

Liberal Democrats across Devon, Cornwall, and the Western Counties have long said that Conservative privatisation of the water industry hit the region with an unfair share of Britain's coastal clean up bill.

Commenting, South East Cornwall MP and Chair of the Liberal Democrat Team for Cornwall said:

"Finally the problems faced by Cornish families and pensioners on low incomes are being addressed by South West Water. The Liberal Democrat Team for Cornwall has been campaigning on this issue for many years and it is gratifying to know we are making a difference.

"There is a still a long way to go so we will continue to press Ministers and DEFRA and in Gordon Brown's Treasury for further action on the scandal that is local water bills."

Cllr Ian Jolly, Leader of North Cornwall District Liberal Democrats added:

"It's not fair that 3% of the population should pay for 30% of the UK's coastal clean-up. It is great that the pilot scheme to reduce some water bills is going ahead but we have to make sure this isn't simply tried and then kicked into the long grass.

"Meantime, we at district level are determined to win more support in May than ever before so that we can tackle our acute housing crisis and implement real policies for quality jobs and a sustainable environment.

"Our consistent and determined campaigns show that Liberal Democrats in Cornwall really can make positive changes that count."