War of words over dam repair bill

The floodgates have opened in a war of words over who should pay for repairs to the dam at Chasewater.

The work on the dam, which holds back a billion gallons of water, will cost Lichfield District Council between £3.5million and £5million.

But the city's MP Michael Fabricant has accused the Government of placing an unfair burden on taxpayers in his constituency. His outburst follows a decision by Gordon Brown, which ruled out immediate action by central government and suggested that district councillors borrow the money.

Mr Fabricant said: "The Prime Minister ignored the central question, namely if he would lend his support to the sharing of costs of the repairs among those councils – and bodies like British Waterways – which would be affected if the dam bursts.

"Instead, he merely suggests that Lichfield District Council can borrow the money, which would have to be repaid, with interest, by local council tax payers over many years to come.

"It puts a huge and unfair burden on Lichfield, and I know that the council will be disappointed with this response."

Mr Brown was responding to a question tabled at Prime Minister's Questions last month.

In his letter to Mr Fabricant, he said: "While the management of the dam as a public asset now involves considerable engineering works to ensure its safety in the future, the Government and other relevant agencies will not stand by nor ignore the risks that the current situation holds."

But the PM would be inappropriate for central government to "unnecessarily interfere" with the work of local councils.

Council bosses are pressing for other groups to share the costs. They are to meet with leaders from 12 other regional bodies next Friday to seek funding assistance.

Chasewater reservoir is the primary source of water for 49 miles of the canal network, through Walsall and Wolverhampton.

Lichfield District Council is providing information to residents living nearby, by distributing leaflets to homes and putting up posters around Chasewater.