Burstow urges council to protect Shanklin leaseholder from excessive gas fitting charges

4.02.00pm GMT Thu 22nd Jan 2009

MP for Sutton and Cheam, Paul Burstow, this week met with the Head of Community Living at Sutton Council to urge the London Borough of Sutton to listen to the residents on the Shanklin estate and take into account the difficult economic climate when arranging the payments for the cost of laying new gas mains on the estate.

Mr Burstow, who has been contacted by leaseholders on the estate, is wants the council recognise how tough it would have been for residents to find the £3,800 to cover the costs, in normal circumstance; let alone in the midst of an economic downturn. Since the council have no choice but to commission the works for health and safety reasons, Mr Burstow hopes that a compromise will be found to help hard pressed residents.

Speaking after his meeting, Mr Burstow said:

'I am urging the council to act as generously as possible in this situation and to seek a reasonable compromise with the effected residents; in particular those long-term lease holders for whom this has come as a nasty shock.

'Given the current economic climate I hope that the council will extend their standard scheme of deferred payment beyond those just on low incomes to recognise how many people are struggling at the moment.'