Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council has struck its new District Rate for April 2025 – March 2026 at 3.65%.
The figure, was agreed by Elected Members at a special meeting on Thursday 6th February 2025, meaning that a business with a Net Annual Value (NAV) of £10,000 will see an increase of £107.78 to its annual rates bill, or £2.07 per week.
For householders, the effect of the increase will be £21.70 per year or 42p each week, based on a house within the Borough at an average capital value of £124,728.
A Council spokesperson said:
“Like all businesses and organisations, Council faces significant financial pressures, including utility costs, increased insurance costs and high levels of inflation, all of which are putting a considerable strain on revenue.
“In setting the £66.4m budget for 2025/26, Council has taken these factors and many others into account, including a substantial increase in employer’s national insurance. This increase represents a double challenge for our businesses, as they too will have the same increased staffing costs to contend with on top of increased rates. Council being no different to our hard-working businesses in this regard, is unable to simply absorb these pressures. In fact, without this additional burden, Council could have struck a rate increase of approximately 2.25%.
“Waste management is an area that presents significant financial challenges, particularly as our last operational landfill site has now been closed, meaning all waste has to be dealt with via third party contracts.
“Another aspect is the ongoing uncertainty around the level of the Rates Support Grant from the Department of Communities. The reduced level of this funding over recent years continues to place additional budgetary pressures on Council.
“Thanks to close financial monitoring, Council’s inherited borrowings have been reducing steadily over recent years, now standing at just over £45.9m. As result, we have been able to reduce our projected interest payments thereby reducing the burden of our capital programme on the ratepayer.
“Elected members have worked closely with Council officers to agree a District Rate that will minimise the financial burden on householders and businesses, while balancing the need to maintain our excellent frontline operations and ensure continued investment in our services and infrastructure going forward.”
In the past year, Council has completed several significant projects, including the public realm project in Ballymoney and a major refurbishment of Red Bay pier, Council having secured £733k of additional funding towards the latter project.
Over the coming years, Council states it remains committed to the continued delivery of an ambitious capital programme, including a £72m Growth Deal and the recently confirmed Coleraine Future Town Fund through which almost £20m of investment will be made in the town over the next 10 years.
A contract has recently been awarded for the creation of a new leisure centre in Ballycastle, a project awarded of £8.1m from the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund, which Council will also be supporting financially. It is hoped work will commence on site in the next few months These investments in the Borough will be for the benefit of all who live, work and visit here.
The rates bill, issued by Land and Property Services (LPS), is made up of the District Rate and the Regional Rate. The Regional Rate is agreed by the Northern Ireland Executive, while local councils set the District Rate, Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council accounts for just 48.57% of your total rates bill.
The District Rate pays for a wide range of public services, including:
• arts, events and recreation
• building control
• leisure/community centres
• environmental health
• tourism
• waste management
To see how every £1 of your District Rate is spent by Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, please see the chart below:
