As reported previously, the Ramsey town rate for the forthcoming year has been set at 399p in the pound - an increase of 10% (35p in the pound).

A break-own of how this figure was arrived at was given at the February board meeting by lead member for finance Juan McGuinness.

Items of expenditure approved by the board included

£26,500 towards improvements to the town’s Christmas lighting

£9,400 towards replacement of the commission’s computer server

£8,500 towards specialist training for Parks’ staff; £6,000 towards improving the amenity of the town’s beaches

£6,000 towards replacement of mercury street light heads; £5,000 to install two drinking water fountains at either end of Mooragh Park

£5,000 towards purchase of wheelie bins

£2,450 to resurface the floors of the Lakeside Toilets

£2,000 for repairs to Station Road car park.

A number of other items were deferred due to budgetary pressures.

It was pointed out that the impact of the above projects equated to a rate of 17.25p in the pound.

This was in addition to expenditure of £127,070 (18.14p in the £) resulting from increases outside the commissioners’ control, for instance the government’s scrapping of contracted-out NI arrangements; the 2019-20 PSC pay award; increases in local government superannuation scheme contributions; an increase contribution to the Northern Civic Amenity Site costs and increased Energy from Waste domestic refuse disposal charges.

Ramsey’s rate rise was the highest in the island.

But straight comparisons can be misleading. In Castletown, for instance, while the rate dropped, a separate, additional waste charge was introduced for all households.