'I'm being held to ransom by council who won't sign off work until I pay £20k'
A family say they've been "held to ransom" by a Tory-controlled council as they've been given a £20,000 bill before a nearly-finished extension can be signed off.
Sarah and Clint Pope had an annex built at their home so they can house her elderly parents, Mary and James Pascoe.
As the project is nearing completion, Sarah has contacted National Grid to get the annex hooked up to electricity, only to be told no overhead cable can be drawn straight from the pole already connecting all the houses in the row and the bungalows below due to technical issues and proximity to trees.
Instead, a cable has to be buried - work which will cost £5,000 - and, because it will run through an unused grassy bank on council land, Cornwall Council has asked the Popes and Pascoes to pay £20,000 to sign off on the work, which someone else will do.
The couple live in the cathedral city of Truro, under the administration of Cornwall Council which said it must 'obtain best value from its land' (Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)Speaking today to Cornwall Live, Sarah's daughter, Emily Scrivener, who has been overseeing the whole project, said: "It does feel like the council is holding us to ransom."
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Emily said she queried the demand and was told the work will increase the value of the Popes' house in Truro, Cornwall, and the price quoted reflects that rise.
"The phone call was the complete reverse of someone telling you you've won the lottery I imagine," Emily continued.
"I was speechless and really taken aback. This project has been long, more expensive than expected and we have had our hiccups so this one just really hit us hard when we were already a bit deflated.
"We are not a business or a rich family, £20k is a year's wages, not pocket money to ask us for with a straight face. The blatant disregard from the council and minimal justification on their part has been really disheartening."
Cornwall Council has confirmed that it asked for £20,000 to allow the work on its land because it has an obligation to seek best value for money from its own assets in the interests of taxpayers. It has, however, downgraded their original demand from £20,000 to £12,000.
But the family cannot afford either sum and so are looking into connecting the annex to their own home, which they say will be significantly cheaper. Mary and James may also soon need care and the family aren't in a position to be able to afford private help.
Emily continued: "My granddad is 82 and registered disabled and their mobility and age is starting to affect them with daily tasks. We wanted to move them in to help care for them, giving them a better quality of life for longer."
The daughter was told by National Grid that it needs to keep a certain clearance from the trees and the current connection to the house from the rear is at maximum capacity. This meant the annex couldn't be connected to the power that way without expensive upgrade works, so an underground connection from the pole at the front was the only option.
Emily added: "I honestly think it's disgusting to take a commercial view and to profit off of my elderly relatives is criminal in my opinion.
"They are on a fixed income and have had to sell their bungalow, lose a lot of money which will never be returned as this is not an investment that will ever pay off for any of us financially. It's a purely health and wellbeing decision.
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"Even if the council's ludicrous £40,000 that they claim the extension will add to my parent's property was accurate - which it isn't - this is still less than 25 per cent of the overall costs being put into the project to make it fully accessible for my pap and have all the aids they will need in the future.
"The extension is also in a category which means we will never and could never rent it out or use it for commercial use to try and recoup any costs in the future. We are not making any money on this and never will, so the idea that the council should is ridiculous.
"The fact the council dropped the £20k down to a £12k payment in one email tells me there is no basis for any of these costs to be requested and therefore by allowing them to set precedence in getting away with it, it could enable them to charge these fees to other families just trying to be closer and care for each other."
Clint said: "The electrician said it's impossible to know if it will be enough to power their home until they move in and start using the lights, washing machine and the radiators in winter. It may well trip up the fuses every time they turn the lights on if we already have our lights on. Then what?"
A spokeswoman for Cornwall Council said: "The council has an obligation in law to obtain best value from its land and property assets, acting on behalf of all council taxpayers.
"It is a long-established professional practice for a payment to be made to a landowner for accessing and using its land to facilitate development.
"The level of charge is determined by the increase in value of the property and whilst ideally the resident should have asked for the council's consent in advance of constructing the annex, that has not altered the council's approach to the valuation.
"The resident is invited to appoint a chartered surveyor to discuss the matter with the council if they remain dissatisfied but a significant discount to the valuation has already been offered."
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