Council forced into u-turn on civic sites

Council forced into u-turn on civic sites

8 February 2012 - by DAVID TELFORD

DOWN Council has been forced into a dramatic U-turn over its decision to close the district’s civic amenity sites on two days a week.

It has bowed to public and political pressure and is expected to confirm at it’s annual rates meeting tonight that sites in Downpatrick, Ballynahinch and Castlewellan will revert back to seven-day opening.

The decision to close the facilities for two days a week was taken as part of a series of cost-cutting measures last year to help freeze the district rate.

But in the wake of increasing public pressure and a rise in illegal dumping across the district, the controversial proposal is to be overturned.

Most recently, there have been a series of high profile illegal dumping incidents at the historic Struell Wells area and Old Course Road in Downpatrick and at Tyrella beach, which have angered councillors.

Downpatrick businessmen at the Cloonagh Road went public with their concerns last month after the two-day closure of the facility beside their premises resulted in unprecedented tailbacks and traffic congestion.

The Recorder understands that money to ensure the civic amenity sites can revert back to seven-day opening has been found as a result of a close examination of council budgets and the decision to transfer £1.5m from the local authority’s burgeoning cash reserves to help finance it’s near £19m budget.

The council’s economic development department, which transferred out of the local authority’s Strangford Road base almost two years ago to the Down Business Centre, is to return to the headquarters building, saving ratepayers thousands of pounds in rent.

After weeks of budget pruning and intensive behind-the-scenes negotiations, councillors will tonight be asked to sanction a rates increase of two per cent.

Initial draft projections suggested the council would need a 14 per cent hike in the district rate, but councillors ordered council chiefs to take a critical look at their respective departments to make savings.

A rates increase of 2.59 per cent was then suggested but further savings agreed on Monday night have reduced the proposed increase to two per cent.

Some councillors were hoping the district rate would again be frozen given the current state of the economy and rising unemployment. But the majority view is that a rise is needed.

But a number of councillors want a critical look taken at a number of external bodies the council supports financially, including the St. Patrick Centre in Downpatrick. They believe it’s time the council rowed back from the level of cash it hands out to ease the burden on hard-pressed ratepayers.

A council source told the Recorder there is “deep unease” about funding bodies like the St. Patrick Centre at a time when many families across the district are finding to difficult to make ends meet.

“These are tough economic times for many people and things show no sign of improving any time soon. The council has to start looking after the ratepayers and seriously consider the funding it provides for outside bodies and organisations,” the source added.