Water charges consultation 'disgraceful decision', claims Ballymoney councillor

At a council meting on Tuesday, January 9, Ballymoney DUP Councillor Mervyn Storey proposed the local authority contact Mr Heaton-Harris and the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) to protest the “disgraceful decision to put out a consultation on water and sewage charges”.

Cllr Storey claimed: “Chris Heaton-Harris has imposed a number of other pieces of diabolical and shameful legislation, and now he has been given a free hand to introduce water charges.”

He proposed the council gets back to DfI and the Secretary of State, saying that it “will not support the introduction of water or sewerage charges under any circumstances”.

He added: “They’d be far better to sort out other issues rather than imposing these charges on the people of Northern Ireland.

“Let’s not hide our position, or play popular politics, and have some mettle. The Secretary of State is interfering in issues which are the domain of the local Assembly when it comes back. If it comes back.”

The Glens Sinn Féin Councillor Cara McShane amended the proposal to allow discussion at a future Corporate Policy and Resources Committee meeting before sending correspondence.

“If other councillors need further consideration, debate and discussion, then a committee is the normal process to do it,” Cllr McShane said.

“The time is available to us, and the Corporate Policy and Resources Committee is the right place for it.”

Andrew Balfour, Local Democracy Reporter