Published: Thursday, 4th February, 2010 9:00am

1.53 per cent rates rise passes without any complaint

Rodney Connor, who chaired his last rates council meeting as Chairman of Fermanagh District Council.

Householders will face a 1.53 per cent rise in their rates bill in April following a decision by Fermanagh District Council on Monday night.

The Council's District rate is to increase by 3.86 per cent for the domestic sector, when added to the regional rate which is to remain the same as last year. This corresponds to a 1.53 per cent increase on last year's bill.

The new business rate locally will be 3.88 per cent and when combined with the regional rates there will be an overall rise of 3.13 per cent.

It means that a domestic house in Fermanagh valued at £185,000 would pay £1,120 under the new rate, as opposed to £1,103 last year - an increase of £17.00.

The figure is considerably lower than the 8.5 per cent District rate increase in 2009/10, which was the highest rate set by Fermanagh District Council in years.

This time the Domestic Rate has been struck at 0.2448 pence in the pound while the Non Domestic Rate has been struck at 17.7340 pence in the pound.

Chief Executive Rodney Connor who estimates the Council will spend £18.2 million in 2010/11, said he was "especially aware" of the current economic climate.

In his report, he explained how Council officials have recognised that any increase in rates would have to be seen to be both "necessary and justifiable" and how they were "acutely aware" of the "adverse differential impact" ratepayers will experience once the new Fermanagh and Omagh Council is formed.

From April 2010, land fill tax will increase by £8 per tonne. But the Council says this figure has been lowered because of a reduction in the amount of waste produced here.

This has been down to the closure of some civic amenity sites and the development of recycling facilities.

In relation to recycling, the Chief Executive said there has been a "significant improvement" in the market for recyclable materials and with that in mind, Mr. Connor says ratepayers will "benefit" by such developments.

The estimates for 2010/11 include a capital programme of £6.5 million, £0.75 million for investment in vehicles, plant and equipment and £5.75 million for the development of infrastructure in Fermanagh.

Frozen by the Northern Ireland Assembly for three years, it is expected that there will be no increase in the regional domestic rate in 2010/11. The 1.53 per cent increase in the total domestic rates here has been described as "modest" by Fermanagh District Council.

At Monday night's Council meeting in the Town Hall the 2010/11 rate was passed without complaint.

"We still have one of the lowest rates and debt burdens in Northern Ireland. It's a positive sign that this county is prospering even in these economic times." said SDLP Councillor John O'Kane.

Afterwards Ulster Unionist MLA Tom Elliott said: "Clearly the rates have obviously been kept to a minimum and that's something that we pride ourselves on in Fermanagh, keeping them low. It's down to a good management structure and I'm quite pleased with that." he said.