Increase of almost eight per-cent a ‘kick in the teeth’ for Strabane

STRABANE’S independent councillors have condemned an almost eight per-cent hike in local rates bills as yet another ‘kick in the teeth’ for the people of the town.

While some way off the ten per-cent figure which was rumoured last week, an increase in household rates of 7.97 per-cent for 2023/24 was set by Derry City and Strabane District Council on Monday.

The hike was agreed by all the main parties, but opposed by the independents, Aontu and People Before Profit.

This latest increase means that, since the council amalgamation in 2015, household rates bills in Strabane have soared by a massive 29.32 per-cent.

Independent councillors reacted with anger at what they see as yet another ‘kick in the teeth’ for Strabane.

Cllr Paul Gallagher said, “I’ve been elected to represent the people of Strabane, and I’m trying to do so, but it’s difficult when you see a constant failure to deliver for the people in the town, a failure which is a massive burden on the already working poor.

“Over the years we have been promised so much; a public realm scheme, the Riverine, a town park, a new footbridge at the boom of the town and investment from the new City Deal.

“Once again, nothing has materialised from any of these promises. All this while, Derry gets projects funded hand-over-fist.”

“Everything we have been promised has been put on the long finger while vital services such as street cleaning, access to recycling get cut.”

Cllr Gallagher says he has been told there were no alternatives to the rates hike, but he has dismissed that claim.

“They say there’s no alternatives, there’s plenty of them. Council has statutory duties which we run every year at a cost of £10m, duties which should be done by local government and aren’t. I called upon local representatives to meet with the Secretary of State, who was in Derry on the day I made the call, to meet him and thrash out a pathway where the statutory duties are taken back and that DCSDC gets bailed out from this current predicament, and let us deliver the services we should be delivering. People are not happy and they are only going to get unhappier.”

Also taking aim at the rates increase was Raymond Barr, who is adamant that the ‘super council’ model isn’t working for Strabane.

He said, “Year-after-year, we get hammered by the rates and what have we got to show for it? Nothing. The fact that there has been an almost 30 per-cent increase since the amalgamation shows that it isn’t working – at least for us!

“Numerous Derry festivals get funded by rates every year; we have Summer Jamm which had to be funded by the local business community.

“I, personally, have never seen Strabane town centre in such a bad state, even during the height of the Troubles, and it breaks my heart.

“The disparity is shocking.”