Rates rise increase set for £48m spend

Rates rise increase set for £48m spend

17 February 2016

POLITICIANS have agreed a 1.94 per cent rates rise to fund Newry, Mourne and Down Council’s £48m budget over the next 12 months.

The increase was agreed at a meeting in Downpatrick last week and politicians also rubber-stamped a £27.5m investment in capital projects, including new leisure centres in Downpatrick and Newry.

During the meeting held at the Downshire Civic Centre only one politician — the TUV’s Henry Reilly — voted against the proposed rise, claiming there had not been enough “democratic participation” in deliberations to determine the new rate.

Branding the local authority “extremely officer driven,” he said he would have liked some more discussion on budget issues and expressed concern there is no facility to prioritise schemes within electoral wards, suggesting this is “part of a democratic deficit which this council has to overcome.”

Councillor Reilly added: “While I am glad to see work in Downpatrick on a new sports centre, I am extremely concerned a town like Newcastle has been so badly ignored in the past and not had sufficient investment is getting nothing out of this year’s rates whatsoever. I would have liked to have seen some work done to get Newcastle the facilities it very much deserves and am appalled this area has been neglected.”

Sinn Fein councillor Terry Hearty — who proposed the 1.94 per centre increase — said a lot of work had been undertaken at various meetings in the run up to agreeing a new rate, with the budget for the next 12 months having a “fairly strong capital programme, featuring a number of big projects.”

He added: “We have also set aside a substantial amount of money for events across the area. Tourism is one of the main priorities for this council and to retain the services to a proper standard we have worked this rates increase down to as low as we possibly can.

SDLP councillor Gary Stokes, who seconded the rate increase, said work is continuing on a new leisure centre in Newry, with work starting on a similar project in Downpatrick, plus other numerous major capital projects.

“The bottom line is that this is like taking out a mortgage. The ratepayers of this district are going to have to pay the money back over 20 years. There is an argument for this spend we can stand over as long as we deliver these various projects,” he said.

Councillor Cadigan Enright said the council’s independent members supported the proposed increase “which supports a substantial level of investment of significant projects.” 

He added: “Broadly speaking, we are happy with this and look to efficiencies being driven out of the merger process over the next year or two and we have been given commitments on this front.”

DUP Councillor Garth Craig said there is provision in the capital programme for Newcastle, explaining his party views the increased rate as “realistic,” bearing in mind the substantial investment planned for the area which represents an “investment in the future and one which will pay dividends eventually.”

He added: “There will be no increase in the services we provide to our citizens and no decrease in the events programme and no decrease in our commitment to make Newry, Mourne and Down a more prosperous and safer place for all our citizens. This of course is against the background of a range of increased powers transferred to the council from central government including planning. “The rates increase takes account of substantial investment in two large capital leisure projects, one in Downpatrick and one in Newry and of course a very good range of capital projects throughout our various towns. It is incumbent upon us all to work together with officers to achieve efficiency and effective resource and services and deliver a programme going forward for the council in the future.”

Councillor David Taylor (UUP) thanked officers for their work in arriving at the proposed rate. He said there was not a single politician who would view an increase as the most desirable position to be in, particularly given the number of households across the district which find themselves in great financial constraint.

He added: “In establishing the district rate we faced the dilemma of ensuring the rates were kept at their lowest possible level, whilst also ensuring our current level of services are protected and other strategic future priorities, including two new major leisure projects, are delivered to completion.”