Community Charge

What is the Community Charge spent on?

The Community Charge is spent on the services provided by Bournville Stewardship Services for residents and the cost of running Long Term Stewardship at Lawley Village.

It includes the cost of services provided on the ground, the cost of the Community Involvement activities, the cost of the Bournville Stewardship Services staff, the office running costs, legal fees,  printing and publications and a fee for Bournville Stewardship Services for providing the service.

A proportion of the charge also contributes to the Wear and Tear Fund (also known as a Reserve Fund).

The Community Charge is not spent on building any part of the development or maintaining parts of the development that have not been fully completed and handed over to Bournville Stewardship Services. Until areas are handed over to Bournville Stewardship Services, they remain the responsibility of the developer.

How is the Community Charge calculated?

The Community Charge is an annual charge levied equally on all households at Lawley Village.  The Community Charge is the total cost of running Long Term Stewardship divided by the number of   households that are on Lawley Village.

All households (regardless of tenure) pay exactly the same amount.

The charge was capped for the first five years of the development to prevent the charge being dis-proportionally high whilst there were relatively few households, the shortfall of income compared to the costs is met by the LVDG.

When is the Community Charge going to increase?

The financial models used by Bournville Stewardship Services that predict future income and  expenditure show that the charge should not need to increase other than by inflation.  Any increase will be discussed with residents in advance.  The anticipated costs for a particular year are calculated and the charge is set to cover those costs.

 Are there further details available on the Community Charge expenditure?

With the annual invoices for the Community Charge, Bournville Stewardship Services provides a statement of the income and expenditure from the previous year along with a set of explanatory notes. These statements can be views here or available on request from Bournville Stewardship Services.

 How do we pay the community charge?

The Community Charge is primarily paid for by direct debit, however, it can also be paid by cheque, online or over the telephone.

What is a Wear and Tear Fund and why do we need it?

A wear and tear fund (also known as a reserve fund) is a pot of money put aside to cover large future expenditure.  Bournville Stewardship Services will in the future have responsibility for large amounts of land and features such as furniture, block paving, street lamps, drainage and walls.  When these require replacement they could be very costly. It is good estate management practice to use a Wear and Tear Fund to spread the cost of these items over many years rather than present a large bill to residents in the year that the cost is incurred.

The wear and tear fund is kept ‘ring fenced’ and can only be spent on replacement or maintenance at  Lawley Village.  It accumulates interest and each year any interest earned is added to the Wear and Tear Fund.

 Why do we pay Council Tax and a Community Charge?

Your council tax pays for services provided across the whole borough including waste disposal, police, fire, social services and much more.

The Community Charge is focused on services for Lawley Village residents.  The money raised by the charge is only spent on services for Lawley Village residents as Bournville Stewardship Services  concentrates only on Lawley Village (as defined on the attached plan).

The Community Charge provides for an enhanced service on the ground, over and above what you would normally receive (more regular litter picking and grounds maintenance for example).  In addition, the Community Charge pays for the community building activities that Bournville Stewardship Services provides to  ensure that Lawley Village becomes a thriving community and gives you a real opportunity to have your say in how your community is managed.