Portrush airshow and Waterworld to be hit as council plans sweeping cuts

A sweeping series of cuts to services has been proposed in order to try and get the council’s finances in order.

Councillors were expected to strike the annual rate last week but opted to postpone the decision amid uncertainty about the state of the finances.

A special meeting was held on Wednesday night but councillors again decided to postpone the decision.

To date, increases of between 7% and 10% have been suggested.

The cash-strapped council’s borrowing stands at more than £70 million.

Officials estimated last week that increases of either 10.08% or 13.51% were needed on the money raised through rates.

Measures ranging from moving to monthly black bin collections rather than fortnightly, to cutting back on maintenance and repair work to council properties and facilities were put on the table for councillors to consider at Wednesday night’s meeting.

Some of the cuts have been approved but some were ruled out on Wednesday night, with a further special sitting set to take place today.

At Wednesday’s meeting, a proposed rate increase of 8.64% was defeated, as was a late proposal by the DUP for an increase of 7.64% after questions were asked about how the party had arrived at that figure.

Cost saving measures agreed by the councillors included the closure of the Waterworld facility in Portrush — a measure which officers said would save £80,000.

The withdrawal of £240,000 in funding for the annual air show in Portrush was also agreed.

A new cycling and walking trail in Garvagh Forest — which was officially opened as recently as July — will see maintenance reduced after this was also agreed by councillors on Wednesday at a saving of £32,000.

Agreement had also been reached earlier for a reduction in funding to the Ulster University’s Riverside Theatre in Coleraine, but a further suggested funding cut of 10% was ruled out.

The council also ruled out the cancellation of a £10,000 payment to the Royal Scottish Pipe Band.

Last week, councillors instead agreed to appoint the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) to provide “immediate and urgent assistance with the current rate setting process”.

CIPFA’s findings have now been presented to councillors.

Meanwhile, a group of unionist councillors moved earlier this week to block a ‘forensic audit’ of the council’s finances and management after an SDLP proposal for such an audit was approved. A total of six councillors employed a legal mechanism known as a call in a bid to block the proposal.