Local authorities give notice to quit running tip

The site at Balladoole serves several areas in and around the north of the island

The board that runs a tip that serves the north of the Isle of Man has given the government notice to terminate its lease.

The Northern Civic Amenity Site (NCAS) Joint Committee made the decision after Bride commissioners said they would no longer use or contribute to the running costs of the facility.

The board, made of representatives of the Ramsey, Ballaugh, Lezayre, Garff, Andreas, Jurby, and Bride local authorities, took over operation of the site from the Department of Infrastructure in 2017.

The department has been contacted for a comment.

In a statement the NCAS committee said Bride was "unhappy at the financial contribution they are required to make to the running costs of the site".

Rates fluctuations

The payments made by each of the members of the committee was "based on the rateable value of the properties in each area", it explained.

In a statement Bride Commissioners said they could not "continue to pay over £65,000 towards running the site", with the authority paying about £250 per household in the area compared to the average of £50 paid by other parishes.

Although the parish's rates are among the lowest on the island, the local authority said "fluctuations in the extraction of gravel" from a local site meant there were variations in the overall rates Bride received.

Despite giving notice of its withdrawal from the agreement, the joint committee was still able to manage the site for the next financial year without the parish's input, which the department was aware of, the NCAS said.

Additional reporting by Emma Draper, Local Democracy Reporter.