Call for reform of swimming pool rate funding

The facilities at the NSC in Douglas are paid for through national taxation

Manx politicians are set to introduce an all-island leisure rate that would see the funds ringfenced to pay for the regional swimming pools.

Lawrie Hooper MHK said the motion would create "fairness" as a local rate was not charged to people living in the east for the National Sports Centre (NSC).

Pointing to the financial issues of the southern pool, Hooper said there should be “parity of funding” for national assets, like the NSC, to prevent some people paying "twice".

The parliamentary motion, set to be debated in January, also asks the Treasury to report to Tynwald by March 2025 with a timetable for the introduction of the rate.

Lawrie Hooper said local pool rates should be replaced with a national levy

Hooper said the current funding model meant people in all areas of the island except the east paid a local swimming pool rate.

As the NSC in Douglas was "funded entirely out of taxation", people in other regions were paying for both it through tax and their local pools through the rates system.

“To my mind it seems fair that everybody pays towards their local pool, and the easiest way of doing that is through an all-island leisure rate," he said.

'Lack of conversation'

Hooper also suggested that other public services like libraries and rubbish tips could also be “funded nationally” rather than “relying on the mish-mash arrangements you have from a postcode system”.

However, he stressed local authorities should remain in charge of operating pool facilities.

Hooper added that the motion called for a timetable on the rate’s introduction to be provided before the end of the administration as there had been a lack of conversation about rate reform under the current government.

The BBC has approached the Department of Education, Sport and Culture for a comment.