A charity has been hit with a shock annual bill of £1,000 for a centre the council built on its land – but then forgot to charge it for.
Shrewsbury Mencap will now have to raise extra funds to cover the bill and members are angry about the council’s actions and the large amount they are being asked to pay.
Shropshire County Council Social Services funded and built the Albert Road Centre in Harlescott in 2003 on Mencap land after the old building became costly for the charity to maintain.
An agreement was entered into that the council would use the building for its day services and Mencap could use the centre in the evening for all the clubs and activities it runs for people with learning disabilities.
The council says a memorandum was agreed and entered into by both parties, but due to an “oversight” the council forgot to charge the charity for their first four years in the centre.
Realising the error, a bill was sent a few months ago for £5,000 for the use of the building in 2006/7. The figure was based on utility costs that the charity incurred by using the building, but after members of the Mencap committee challenged this it was reduced to £1,000.
However, as the Chronicle went to press the chairman of Mencap, Maureen Bradley, said the charity had met with the council and agreed to pay the money in quarterly instalments.
Liam McKervey, assistant director of adult social care for SCC, said: “This was agreed by both organisations and a memorandum was entered into by both parties. This agreed a formula on who should pay what proportion of costs e.g. heating, lighting, and cleaning.
“It was agreed that Shropshire County Council would invoice Mencap for their proportion of the costs as agreed in the memorandum.
“This has now been done. Once the invoice was sent a reduction was negotiated and agreed. The use of the building is free and the invoices now only cover the costs of the services used by Mencap.”
Charlie Crowl, communications officer for community services, said that the fact the council had not charged the charity for the past four years was ‘an oversight’.
Anthony Salmon, treasurer for Mencap, said: “We don’t think money that we raise should go to the county council – it should be used to fund the clubs that we run.”
The clubs that Mencap run from the centre offer crucial respite to carers and parents of children with learning difficulties and also allow adults with learning difficulties to socialise and meet others.