Whitby council claims £20,000 in incorrect water charges

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 23 Oct, 13:02 · Archive

Whitby Town Council claims almost £20,000 in water charges were wrongly billed to it for public toilets.

Whitby Town Council claims that almost £20,000 in water charges have been wrongly attributed to its Market Place public toilets. A specialist water audit consultant calculated that an estimated £19,562 in charges had been incorrectly billed to the town council's supply, according to a report presented to the council's finance committee.

The claim emerged following a detailed review of historic water bills and meter readings. Town councillors were told the review had identified thousands of pounds in charges that should not have fallen to them. The findings and supporting calculations have been passed to North Yorkshire Council, and councillors voted to pursue repayment of the full amount.

North Yorkshire Council's corporate director for resources, Anton Hodge, said discussions were continuing. 'We are working with Whitby Town Council and other parties involved to look into an issue relating to water bills at Whitby Market Place,' he said. 'As enquiries are ongoing, it would not be appropriate to comment further at this stage.' It remains unclear whether North Yorkshire Council accepts the claim.

The dispute comes as Whitby Town Council continues to examine historic finances and utility costs following a series of reviews into its governance and financial management.

How it is being reported

• Row over £20,000 ‘incorrect’ public toilet charges in WhitbyALMOST £20,000 in water charges has been wrongly attributed to one of Whitby’s public toilets, local councillors have claimed.Gazette & Herald (Malton) · 23 Oct, 12:23
• Row over £20,000 ‘incorrect’ public toilet charges in WhitbyALMOST £20,000 in water charges has been wrongly attributed to one of Whitby’s public toilets, local councillors have claimed.York Press · 23 Oct, 12:23

In this story: Whitby Town Council · North Yorkshire Council · Whitby · Anton Hodge

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