Good News As Local Rates Kept Down

Curran Welcomes New Rate For Down District Council

AT a special Council meeting last Wednesday (8 February 2012), Down District Council struck its rate to meet the cost of services it will provide in the next financial year and to support plans to spend £25 million in developing the district over the next three years.

Councillors unanimously agreed to a 1.99 per cent increase in the district rate which is significanty lower than the rate of inflation. The effect on the average household owning a property with a capital value of around £130,000 will see an increase of 17 pence per week.

Down District Council Chairman, Councillor Dermot Curran said, “Down District Council has responded to the concerns of the ratepayers and businesses of our district in the rate setting process this year.

Down District Counciil Chief Executive John Dumigan with Council Chairman Councillor Dermot Curran pictured just just before the meeting to set the rates

“We have worked extremely hard to keep the rates down, especially in today’s current economic climate, while making sure that we maintain and improve our services and plan for the future. Job creation, access to job opportunities, job retention and economic development are at the top of our agenda.

“It is critical that we seek to invest in our district to strongly position ourselves to meet the challenges which we will face over the next three years”.

“The Council’s district development plan which has been supported by all of the political parties seeks to bring the district’s facilities to a 21^st Century standard by focusing on a range of leisure and tourism initiatives, regeneration, environmental and community investment priorities. The process of striking the district rate is a first step in achieving the Council’s vision as set out in the plan and will help to drive economic growth in the district by stimulating the construction industry and delivering major infrastructure that will secure the tourism potential of the District.”

Councillor Curran thanked Councillors, the Rates Working Party and Management for their cooperation in achieving a realistic rate for 2012/2013 and he said that he was pleased that Down District Council has continuously achieved its objective of striking a rate which is appropriate and realistic. “It is crucial that the objectives within the strategy are realised. The plan aims to enable the district to improve with lasting and significant change. If we achieve all of this, then the local people will feel the benefits. It is our job to make sure local people are provided with the services and facilities they need and deserve in their communities”.

Minister Attwood Speaks On Rates

Environment Minister Alex Attwood has announced that all district councils have struck their rates for the 2012/2013 financial year.

The Minister said: “The district rates are struck by 15 February each year by individual district councils, to meet the costs of local services, including leisure and recreational services; economic development; and environmental services.

“One of the features of local government in Northern Ireland is the fact that most of its income comes from locally set taxes. This preserves local accountability and the independence of our councils.”

District rates vary from district to district, reflecting the rateable resources and spending policies of individual councils. This year, the district rates show percentage increases of between 0.0% and 5.9%, when compared with the 2011/2012 figures. It is essential for householders and businesses that rate rises remain close to inflation in order that those recipients of the service do not receive a nasty shock for which they are unprepared.

The Minister added: “The Northern Ireland Executive is responsible for deciding on the level of the regional rate, which accounts for just over half a typical rates bill. In 2011/2012 the regional rate increased by the level of inflation and, subject to Assembly approval, this will continue to be the case over the next three years. As a result that part of rate bills will remain constant in real terms over this period, and will apply to both households and commercial ratepayers. This financial restraint by the Executive recognises the commitment to protecting household budgets while not adversely affecting regional rates revenue."

Ards Borough Council Still Under One Per Cent

Ards Borough Council has again restricted its rate rise to under one per cent.

Striking the lowest rate rise in 15 years, the Council agreed at a meeting tonight (14 February) to increase the domestic rate by 0.9 per cent, the equivalent of 26.5p a month extra on the district rate for an average ratepayer in Ards.

Proposing the new rate, Mayor of Ards, Councillor Mervyn Oswald, said: “We made our decision in an economic climate which continues to be harsh, where some people are already struggling and where others are worrying about what the future holds. It is incumbent upon us then, to ensure that we minimise the financial impact of our actions on our residents by keeping any rate rise as low as possible, while also maintaining service delivery.

“However, before we even started looking at what was required in terms of our own services and facilities, we had to find almost half a million pounds - that’s 2.4 per cent of our overall budget - to fund costs that were beyond our control, from superannuation to the ever-increasing landfill tax. So, we have continued with sensible plans to develop services and a prudent capital expenditure programme and will again make use of our reserves to pay for specific, usually one-off activities, as well as continuing to focus on efficiencies throughout the year and not just at rate-striking time”, he said.

NIIRTA Chief Welcomes New Rates

NIIRTA Chief Executive Glyn Roberts said: “It has to be welcomed that most local councils have not gone for an excessive rate hike on small businesses and retailers. Given the tough time local traders have had with a major downturn in consumer spending, a dramatic increase in rates would be the last thing they would have needed”

“Dungannon Council, in particular, deserve considerable credit for no increase in their non domestic rate and it should be noted that the vast majority of councils have kept any increase to below 3.5 per cent

 “This responsible approach of local councils complements the recent unanimous decision of the Assembly to extend the Small Business Rate Relief Scheme for many thousands of local small businesses”