Douglas ratepayers will see a 2.5% increase in bills from April.

A rate levy of 444p in the pound -up 11p - was approved at a special meeting of Douglas Council yesterday (Wednesday).

The rate increase was approved following a debate which focused on whether fortnightly bin collection should be introduced - and whether £135,000 should be spent on a new crazy golf course at Noble’s Park.

Council leader David Christian said the council had been able to keep the rate increase down to 2.5% despite significant budget pressures.

These included the ’wholly unfair’ imposition of having to take from reserves a £100,000 provision for rate rebates to compensate businesses affected by the Promenade scheme.

Mr Christian said this should be the responsibility of central government.

A 2.75% pay award for public sector workers represented a rate-borne increase of £227,000.

And complying with the Equality Act meant separate conditions for manual and office workers had to merge - at a rate-borne cost of £118,000.

The only councillor to vote against the 444p rate was Falk Horning who called for the roll-out of alternative weekly bin collections from November, and to look at bringing in garden waste collections.

Some £105,000 would need to be spent on providing suitable bins.

He also called for £135,000 plans for a nine-hole crazy golf course in Noble’s Park to be deleted from the capital programme, insisting there were other priorities and suggested a 443p rate not 444p.

Mr Christian said the crazy golf course would enhance facilities in the park.

Noble’s Park previously had a TT themed crazy golf course but it had ’come to the end of its sell-by date,’ he said.

He questioned whether it was right to force people to recycle by ending weekly bin collections. He said the move could increase fly-tipping and result in waste being put in council litter bins, where ’our friends the gulls would pull all the rubbish out’.

He warned reserves of £787,000 were ’dangerously low’ and there would be a ’very tough’ round next year.

â?¢ Ramsey Commissioners has increased its rate by 3% to 411p in the pound.

It represents an increase of about 28p per week for a typical three-bedroom property within the town.