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Water rates payments run into problems
South Belfast News 14th of May 2008
By Donna McGarry
PLANS to introduce water charges as part of homeowner’s rates bills have run into trouble due to legal issues.
The Department for Finance and Personnel has admitted there are technical problems which may prevent the Land and Property Services from collecting water charges on behalf of Northern Ireland Water Ltd as it is a private company.
With rates bills estimated on a standing charge, which will be the same for all customers, and a variable element based on house value, South Belfast homeowners could be crippled with high water charges if the plans are introduced.
The We Won’t Pay Campaign was set up to challenge the decision to introduce water charges as part of rate bills made by Conor Murphy, Minister for Regional Development.
“It is not within the remit of Land and Property Services to collect revenue on behalf of Northern Ireland Water, as the water company’s legal status is a private company. Therefore water charges cannot be introduced through the rates,” said Gary Mulcahy of the We Won’t Pay Campaign.
He added: “This raises a major question mark over the legality of this year’s rates bills as it states in the literature accompanying this year’s bills that part of the rates goes towards financing water and sewerage services.
“Since water and sewerage services are monopolised by Northern Ireland Water, the Land and Property Service are collecting income on behalf of a private company.”
A worrying factor for many homeowners in South Belfast, various communities have protested over the past year declaring their opposition to the introduction of additional water charges.
Gordon Hewitt from the Anti Poverty Network based in the city centre, was part of the campaign to stop additional water charges.
“We always thought people already paid for their water through the rates. Any additional charges we are extremely against.
“We want to protect families with low income or on benefits. Water is a human right after all so there shouldn’t be additional charges.”
When questioned on combined water and rate bills. the Executive claimed they are reviewing exactly how water charges will be issued in the future.
A spokesperson from the Department of Finance and Personnel said: “The Executive noted the proposal by the Independent Panel that a single bill should be issued to consumers, with rates and water and sewerage charges separately identified.
“The Executive agreed that the Department of Finance and the Department of Regional Development would examine the options for a single bill and report back. That work is still ongoing.”
The regional rate homeowners pay does make a contribution towards water as it does to other services but the Executive state when separate household payments are introduced in 2009/10 there will be “an offset in the regional rate in recognition of this”.
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