Loan charges contribute to 36% Braddan rate spike, authority says

Work on The Roundhouse began in June 2021

Loan charges for a new community hub in Braddan have contributed to a 36% spike in rates, the local authority has said.

The board said the delayed opening of The Roundhouse had meant making repayments "whilst receiving very little income" to offset them.

Braddan Commissioners Chairman Andrew Jessopp said the authority had had to make "some tough decisions".

But he confirmed an annual waste disposal charge would be reduced by £38 to £50 per household.

The changes will see an average three-bedroom home pay an extra £69 a year from April.

Mr Jessopp said the authority had faced "very difficult challenges", such as increased inflation and refuse charges.

But the commissioners had created a "realistic budget" balancing existing responsibilities and "the additional services it can now provide to its ratepayers", he said

"The authority's charges still remain lower than seven other authorities on the island and considerably less than its two largest neighbours," Mr Jessopp said.

The island's 21 local authorities have been setting their rates, which is a tax based on property value which are levied to pay for local services, for the coming financial year.

'Budget of practicality'

Elsewhere, rate bills in Garff are set to climb by 14% due to a range of issues including "significant maintenance costs" and "substantially increased contributions" to fund the operation of the Northern Swimming Pool, the authority said.

Meanwhile, rates in Marown are to be upped by 7.8% due to "significant" increases to disposal fees at the energy from waste plant, a reason given by many authorities for rises, and to help fund the island's western pool.

The local authority in Port St Mary said it had created a "budget of practicality" and had kept its increased rate of 2.5% "as low as possible".

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