Belfast City Council votes to hike rates by 8% - here's what it means per house, per year
Belfast City Council’s rates are to increase by 7.99% for 2023/24, it was revealed this evening.
The council said that, in real terms, this means an average monthly increase of:
• £2.05 for a terraced property(£24.60 per year)
• £3.13 for a 3-bed semi-detached property (£37.56 p/a)
• £6.97 for a 4-bed detached property (£83.64 p/a)
• £1.98 for an apartment (£23.76 p/a)
• £51.44 for an office property (£617.28 p/a)
• £42.14 for a retail property (£505.68 p/a)
Alliance councillor Emmett McDonough-Brown, chairman of the council’s Strategic Policy and Resources Committee (which voted for the hike about a fortnight ago, with the full council then ratifying the decision tonight), said: “For seven years we were able to keep the rates increase below 3% which was a significant achievement.
"But none of us, including council, is exempt from the impact of the cost-of-living crisis and the rising costs of energy and services.
"As councillors, it’s important that we strike a balance between supporting our ratepayers and residents, while also looking after the needs of our own staff as they too are impacted by the current economic times.
“And while we are unfortunately seeing an increase in rates this year, I am pleased that we have been able to keep it below the current rate of inflation [currently 10.5%].”
He added that "we will be enhancing our neighbourhood and city centre taskforces” and “recruiting a number of new staff to tackle issues like dog fouling, graffiti, and city centre cleanliness”.
Neither the SDLP or People Before Profit backed the hike.
The latter’s councillor Fiona Ferguson wrote on Twitter: “Tonight PBP voted against the 8% hike in rates once again.
"Unfortunately it has been voted through by parties including Sinn Féin, the DUP and the Alliance Party.
“This will be met with fear and fury in working class communities. In a cost of living crisis, it is unjustifiable.”