Volunteers of a community shop in Gartmore Community Hall have called for a change to the law on water charges for local groups after warning it may have to close.
The shop used to be based in the village but has now moved to a small room in the hall, which is operated by Gartmore Community Trust. The Trust has up to now not had to pay water and sewerage charges to Business Stream and Scottish Water.
However, it has now been told it could see increased costs of around £3,500 due to the relocation of the shop.
MSP takes up case
The case has now been taken up by Stirling MSP Alyn Smith and his SNP colleague, Trossachs and Teith councillor Gene Maxwell.
In a letter to Rural Affairs Secretary Gillian Martin, Mr Smith says the loss of the rebate creates a “significant disincentive” for community enterprises in rural areas and says the removal of the exemption is at odds with VAT on electricity, where the Trust can claim a 95 per cent exemption.
The letter continues: “The shop not only provides a convenient service by minimising unnecessary journeys (and therefore reducing carbon footprint) but it has helped bring the community together and address social isolation.
“These are aims I would imagine that the Scottish Government would be supportive of for rural communities.
“I will be meeting with representatives from the Community Trust in the coming weeks to discuss this issue further, but I would be grateful for your thoughts on the loss of their water exemption which may threaten the viability of the community shop and whether anything can be done to fix this issue.
“If enterprises such as the shop in Gartmore Village Hall don’t qualify for exemptions, then there is surely a case for extending the category of exemptions to include vital community hubs and not-for-profit enterprises in rural communities, such as those similar to Gartmore Village Hall and Shop.”
Councillor calls for clarification
Mr Smith added that he hoped Ms Martin would review the case and help rural community enterprises without suffering “eyewatering losses”.
Mr Maxwell said: “The current interpretation of the legislation seems to cut across its basic purpose, of supporting community halls, which play such a vital role.
“I’d hope that a clarification, extending the exemption to cover situations like this could be put in place particularly given that Scottish Water is a publicly owned body.”
