Storm-damaged Ballylumford power station chimney a factor in £2m downturn in council finances, special meeting told
A rise in rates of 3.99 per cent for households and businesses during the 2025/26 financial year was agreed by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council at a special meeting at The Braid, in Ballymena, on Monday.
Storm damage caused to a chimney at Ballylumford Power Station in Islandmagee outside Larne and cessation of coal-fired generation at Kilroot Power Station, Carrickfergus, have been cited as contributing to a decrease of almost £2m in revenue.
Proposing the rate, Carrick Castle DUP Alderman Billy Ashe MBE said: “Tonight we meet to set the rate for 2025/26. We meet remembering this time last year we faced a mammoth task and were forced to face up to the realities of the world and its impact on our rate-setting exercise.
“I believe it is appropriate to say thank-you to the interim chief executive and her team in successfully navigating the hurdles we have faced this last year in bringing us to this point tonight.
“Setting the rate is complex and difficult at the best of times. However, when we see the speed of change within the United Kingdom today, it is indeed very hard to nail down all the components of rate setting, particularly as many of the responsibilities sit outside our responsibility.
“For example, Kilroot Power Station, sitting with Land and Property; the National Insurance contributions, sitting with Westminster; the rate support grant, sitting with the Department and of course, insurance charges, sitting on the free market.
“All of these things are having a detrimental impact on our budgets that we have no say in. It is imposed upon us. So we balance our budgets against providing services, in front-line services like brushing streets, emptying bins, maintaining parks and open spaces, leisure provision and of course, having to bury our dead.
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“I believe tonight’s proposition protects our front-line services, whilst giving us the opportunity to directly employ more staff, giving them security of employment and having less dependency on agencies and others getting a cut out of the rate-payers’ budget.”
Seconding the proposal, Larne Lough Ulster Unionist Councillor Roy Beggs said: “In terms of facing the many challenges and pressures that we have been experiencing, there have been a number of issues that have added pressures to council which could easily have resulted in an even more significant rates increase.
“Thankfully, because of what I consider to be better management and controls and other plans that we have been able to restrict any increase to 3.99 per cent. The rates support grant has created an additional pressure of £380,000 on this budget we are setting.
“But there have been a number of other pressures facing every employer such as National Insurance increases brought in by the Labour Government. That has resulted in an additional pressure of £820,000. Quite a significant sum to have to be raised from our ratepayers. There is then pressure from national pay awards, £1.3m almost.
“We have also been facing pressure in terms of our waste services and essential service and that has resulted in an additional pressure of some £800,000.
“Kilroot and Ballylumford were the biggest rate contributors to Mid and East Antrim Borough Council. We have suffered significant loss of rates income since coal-fired generation has closed.
“We have also suffered a degree of reduction as the result of the damage that has occurred to the chimney at Ballylumford which does affect the rates revenue. Nevertheless, all that has resulted in a reduction in £1.8m to this council. Despite all of that, we have been able to limit the rates increase to 3.99 per cent.”
Mr Beggs also referred to the council’s voluntary redundancy scheme and re-structuring and “better controlling of our expenditure”, some of which he said should have occurred since 2015.
Mid and East Antrim Mayor Ald Beth Adger MBE said: “Our focus has always remained on striking a rate that protects front-line services, is sustainable, yet allows for development.
“However, we fully recognise the difficult year that businesses and communities had in relation to the continued cost of living increases.”
Michelle Weir, Local Democracy Reporting Service