For the average household within the council area with a capital value of £145,000, this means an increase of 39 pence per week or £1.69 per month.
Alderman Owen Gawith, Chair of our Corporate Services Committee said: “These are difficult times, not least because of the cost-of-living crisis so many are facing. Many of the financial pressures experienced by our ratepayers also affect us as a council.
“Despite this, we have focused on ensuring that our proposed rate increase is as low as possible for both domestic and non-domestic properties, and below the 4% level of inflation.
“I expect that we will continue to have the lowest district rate for households in Northern Ireland – and one of the lowest for businesses.
“The council has an important role to play in the day-to-day life of this area – delivering vital services that are second to none in terms of quality, efficiency and value for money.
“We want to deliver on what’s important for people – operating high-quality leisure facilities, delivering essential services and turning key plans for the area into reality. We also want to have the resilience to move forward with our ambitions for the future, ensuring Lisburn and Castlereagh is a place where people want to live, work and play.
“Our ambitious £128 million capital investment plan will support the local economy, help create jobs and breathe new life into our communities - creating solid foundations for the future.
“In the new financial year, we plan to spend £29.7 million across a range of capital projects including the new Dundonald International Ice Bowl; new pitches at Lisburn’s Laurelhill Sports Zone and Carryduff’s Lough Moss Leisure Centre, as well as the redevelopment of Hilden School.
“We will spend £14.5 million on disposing of waste and providing recycling services, as well as £2.7 million on cleaning our streets and public spaces. An allocation of £6.4 million will go towards maintaining our leisure and community centres across the area - and a further £5.5 million will help keep our award-winning parks and green spaces vibrant and welcoming.
“We will spend almost £2 million on protecting public health and £1.7 million on overseeing planning and building control.
“Investing in the future will be funded to the tune of £3.1 million – including community planning projects, supporting our towns and villages and other economic development initiatives.”
Notes:
For 2024-25, our rates will increase by 3.98% to deliver a balanced budget.
It is expected that we will continue to have the lowest domestic rates in Northern Ireland and one of the lowest non-domestic rates.
Further information
How to calculate your rates bill
Your bill is calculated using three pieces of information:
- Capital value of your home (domestic properties) or net annual valuation (business properties)
- District rate - set by councils
- Regional rate - set by NI Executive
To calculate your bill, use the Department of Finance rates calculator.
To find more information on your bill, help with paying your rates or how to pay your rates bill, go to the NI Direct website.
Domestic rate bill for householders
The domestic rate bill is calculated as follows:
capital value of your property x (domestic district rate + domestic regional rate) = £ to be paid
If you would like more information about the capital value of your property, please visit the Department of Finance website.
Business rate bill
The business rate bill is calculated as follows:
net annual valuation of business premises x (non-domestic district rate + non-domestic regional rate) = £ to be paid
A revaluation of non-domestic properties has taken place. Further information can be found on the Department of Finance website.
Rates relief
Help available for domestic rates
For information regarding domestic rates relief, please visit the NI Direct website.
Help available for business rates
There are a number of reliefs available to business ratepayers. For more information about these, as well as allowances and how to apply for them, visit the NI Business Info website.
How we plan to use your rates in 2024/25
An animation, showing some of the ways the Council plans to spend income from rates during 2024/25, is available on our social media platforms: Facebook and X.