PEOPLE living in one of Cambridgeshire s newest settlements are allegedly being hit with hidden Cambourne taxes , according to residents. They claim some of the people living in the three villages that make up Cambourne are paying over the odds for main

PEOPLE living in one of Cambridgeshire's newest settlements are allegedly being hit with "hidden Cambourne taxes", according to residents.

They claim some of the people living in the three villages that make up Cambourne are paying over the odds for maintenance contracts and gas.

Roger Hume who has lived in Willow Lane, Great Cambourne, since 2000, told The Hunts Post residents get charged additional administration costs just to receive a gas supply.

"I didn't notice I was being charged extra until last year when another amount appeared on my bill," he said. "It is a Cambourne tax that can rise at any time."

The problem stems from some homes in Cambourne getting gas through pipes owned by an independent gas transporter rather than via Transco's pipes.

The result means residents are charged an extra administrative cost - a cost of about £9.97 (or £42 per annum)that used to be picked up by Powergen.

Mr Hume, who is still using Powergen, said: "Everyone is apathetic about it. Nobody seems that bothered. They just see it as another charge they have to pay to live in Cambourne. A lot of people will not complain because they do not want to rock the boat as they may soon want to sell their houses."

Powergen now points this charge out to new customers and said it is company policy to pass the charge on to the customer.

Other Cambourne residents have had problems with maintenance contracts, which look after green areas and other items such as electric gates.

Forty-eight homeowners living in Atley Way, Lower Cambourne, dumped their management company and set up their own as they believed they were paying

too much.

Ben Rickard, 29, a homeowner in Atley Way, said: "We used to pay up to £200 a year under CPM Asset Management but, since setting up our own committee, now pay £60. "Residents are happy because they are paying less and we have control over exactly what gets done and when."

Homeowners in Atley Way and other areas of Cambourne, are required to pay a management company fee for the upkeep of the area.

Mr Rickard, who has lived in Cambourne for almost four years and is a councillor on Cambourne Parish Council, added: "When I brought my house in Cambourne I knew I would have to pay a management fee and I was fine with that as I expected all the work would get done. But on some occasions things weren't getting to the standard we would have liked so the residents sacked CPM."

CPM did not wish to comment.

n Do you live in Cambourne and believe there are too many hidden charges? E-mail your views to editor@huntspost.co.uk