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Happy Pants Ranch in Newington, near Sittingbourne, hit with £84k bill from Water Plus

A sanctuary that cares for more than 400 unwanted and disabled animals has been hit with a water bill of more than £84,000.

Amey James, who runs Happy Pants Ranch in Newington, near Sittingbourne, has been sent the “most ridiculous bill known to mankind” after her water meter was checked after almost three years.

Amey James of Happy Pants Ranch, Sittingbourne
Amey James of Happy Pants Ranch, Sittingbourne

The 43-year-old installed the meter within six months of moving to the 20-acre site in Iwade Road in February 2021.

As a customer of Water Plus, she has paid around £100 per month.

But since October, the ranch boss has received six different invoices telling her to cough up tens of thousands of pounds.

The most recent bill on January 7 was for £84,395.13 - a reduced amount from a bill she was sent just five days previously for £93,890.13.

Founder Amey James at the animal sanctuary in Iwade Lane, Bobbing
Founder Amey James at the animal sanctuary in Iwade Lane, Bobbing

On Tuesday, January 21, Amey received a disconnection letter stating that she would be cut off from the supply within seven days if she did not start making payments.

Amey told KentOnline the threat of being cut off from the water supply was “really worrying” because it put her livestock at risk.

She said: “I just thought they must have got it wrong and that it was a joke.

“I called them several times to complain and tell them that they had not checked the meter.

“The meter itself is in a ditch which is constantly flooded so I could not check it myself and I told the company that when they have requested readings.

A Happy Pants Ranch fun day
A Happy Pants Ranch fun day

“You can’t just hand someone a £84,000 bill and expect them to pay it. I don’t have that money.

“I asked to increase my payment by £100 every month to try and pay it off but I was told the minimum payment per month was £4,000.

“It is the most ridiculous bill known to mankind.”

Water Plus sent a meter reader to the site in March and then again in September. The second check generated the huge bills Amey has received.

But after Amey contacted KentOnline, the company has put the water bill on hold while it investigates the case further. It says it needs more information to “understand” the reason for the amount of water used at the sanctuary.

Water Plus says it has put the bill of more than £84,000 on hold
Water Plus says it has put the bill of more than £84,000 on hold

Water retailers are required to gain a meter reading once every 12 months, under market industry code, from when an account has a named organisation on it for water billing.

Water Plus says its records show it established Happy Pants was at the location that the water meter supplied in September 2023 and its first check was in March 2024 so it has followed the code.

Michele Marshall-Jackson, head of customer operations for business water retailer Water Plus, said: “We’re really sorry about the delay in our response and we’ve apologised to Amey James.

“We’re working closely with the wholesaler about their visits to the charity’s site and the results of these visits.

“We need more information to understand the reason for the high bill and the amount of water used at the animal sanctuary.

“We know our customer response and communication, on this occasion, has fallen below the high standards we deliver each week for customers and we are very sorry and understand the concern about the bill.”

Amey James has been hit with a massive water bill
Amey James has been hit with a massive water bill

Amey says the situation has added to the “stress” she is already under as she continues to look for a new home for her and her animals.

She was being given nine months to leave following a Swale council eviction order which she appealed against.

She lost that appeal in December and said that she could have to destroy the animals if the ranch could not find a new premises.

This followed a three-year planning battle with the authority over formally changing the use of the land from agricultural to animal rescue.

She started a GoFundMe page with a target goal of £250,000 and so far it has raised more than £16,600.

Amey James says the water meter wasn't checked
Amey James says the water meter wasn't checked

To view the fundraising page click here.

Amey told KentOnline this week that she is continuing to look for a new home and has already rehomed around 30 smaller animals, including rats, cats, and ferrets.

She said: “We are looking at any options at the moment. But even if I won the lottery tomorrow and bought a nice farm I would still face the same issues I faced here.

“I would have to get planning permission to change it from agricultural use to animal rescue.”

Amey is also embroiled in a further battle over allegedly breaching a council order to stop nuisance noise coming from the ranch - a charge she denied in court last month.

Even if I won the lottery tomorrow and bought a nice farm I would still face the same issues I faced here.

It comes after complaints from neighbours over “constant daily noises” from her cockerels, geese, sheep, cattle and dogs.

Explaining why it had taken the action, a Swale council spokesperson said: “The Happy Pants Ranch applied for retrospective planning approval in 2021 and after assessing the application against national planning policy and our own local planning policies this was rejected.

“A planning enforcement notice was issued in 2022 to rectify these breaches, in line with our policies.

“The notice was subsequently appealed by the applicant, and an inspector appointed by the Secretary of State dismissed the appeal, upheld our notice - subject to variations - and agreed with our original refusal of planning permission.

“The enforcement notice requires that the mix use of the site stops and that the land needs to be restored to its original condition before the breaches took place.”

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