Antrim and Newtownabbey Council to strike new rate with rising costs putting pressure on finances

Increasing staff costs and pay rises have been highlighted during draft estimates. This includes all employee related costs including salaries, overtime, on-call, agency workers and employee related insurance.

The cost associated with the upkeep of civic buildings has also been highlighted including rising utility bills. Transport related costs have been brought to the attention of councillors, in particular, fleet fuel and maintenance.

Councillors were told at last month’s meeting of the Operations Committee that with regard to parks, leisure and bereavement services. there has been a “significant increase” in costs, particularly in employee and utility expenses but no price increase for leisure since 2017.

They were also informed the council’s leisure membership was one of the lowest-priced of local authorities in Northern Ireland. It was noted there has been a £20m investment in leisure facilities in the borough since 2017 before approving, behind closed doors, new charges for the 2024/25 financial year.

Meanwhile, additional costs are to be placed on businesses in the borough through an increase in council cleansing charges for the incoming financial year.

Bin Size

Those who request the council to provide a commercial waste collection service must pay a charge for the collection and disposal of such waste according to bin size.

Councillors were told at a meeting of the Operations Committee in December that charges for its trade waste collection service had not increased for local businesses for the past four years “to assist them during Covid amid the challenging economic environment” and as a result “inflationary staff costs and treatment rates had been absorbed”.

It was also stated: “While businesses have benefited from this council decision, it has meant that council’s trade waste charges had fallen below those charged in the private sector and other councils.”

As a result, it was proposed to increase waste collection charges by 10% in 2024-25 which would equate to £0.61 per uplift of a 240L bin and £1.43 for a 1100L bin. This price increase is expected to generate approximately £60,000 of additional income.

Householders requiring a replacement 240 litre or 180 litre black bin, priced at £30 and £25 respectively can expect a ten per cent increase in the price. Approximately 1,200 are sold annually.

However, the supply of recycling and composting containers would continue to be provided free of charge. Householders will continue to receive caddy liners free of charge.

Michelle Weir, Local Democracy Reporting Service