Council approves 'modest' rates increase

LOCAL householders and business owners can expect their rates bills to rise by less than three per cent from April 1, the Times can reveal.

By The Newsroom

Published 9th Feb 2010, 09:05 BST

Updated 11th Feb 2010, 11:36 BST

With the district rate for 2010/11 scheduled to be struck at a special meeting of Newtownabbey Council on Wednesday night (February 10), councillors were expected to approve a domestic rise of just under five per cent. And with the regional rate set by central government still frozen, that should equate to an increase of around 2.6 per cent at the doorstep.

The district rate for the year commencing April 1 will be 25.0494p and 0.3207p in the pound for non-domestic and domestic property respectively. Those figures will give the council a budget of around 23.5 million for the coming financial year.

The district rate pays for a wide range of council services, including refuse collection, street cleansing, leisure facilities, environmental health services and cemeteries.

Read the full story in this week's Times...

Council Newtownabbey Council