DUP group on Mid Ulster District Council express 'disappointment' at 3.4% rates rise

The rate increase applies to both domestic and non-domestic properties and means that the average domestic rate payer will pay an additional 34p per week.

The council said its budgeting approach remains focused on delivering the essential services residents expect, as well as reflecting what residents value the most.

Speaking following the special meeting on Monday, DUP group leader Councillor Paul McLean said they wanted to strike a lower rate.

"From the outset of this year’s rate-setting process, the DUP worked constructively to deliver the lowest possible rate increase for local households and businesses, while ensuring that core council services could continue to be delivered efficiently and responsibly," he said.

"The DUP initially proposed a 2.84% increase, reflecting a balanced and prudent approach at a time when families and businesses are already under significant financial pressure. When this proposal was rejected, the DUP engaged further in good faith. Unionist parties subsequently united behind a revised proposal of 2.85%, demonstrating a clear, responsible and collaborative alternative focused on protecting ratepayers.

“Regrettably, this joint proposal was also voted down. Instead, a 3.4% increase proposed by Sinn Féin was carried, following the decision of the SDLP to abstain. As a result, residents and businesses across Mid Ulster will now face a higher rate rise than was both achievable and avoidable.”

Councillor McLean added that his party would remain committed to a “more balanced approach to rate-setting that recognises the real pressures facing households and the local economy.”