Belfast City Council announces highest rates increase of all Northern Ireland local authorities

The new rates will take effect from 1 April 2023

All 11 of Northern Ireland's local authorities have announced an increase in rates for 2023-2024.

The new rates will take effect from 1 April 2023.

Rates are made up of two parts - the district rate and the regional rate.

The district rate is agreed by individual councils and covers issues such as waste management and leisure centre facilities.

The regional rate, which covers services including roads maintenance and hospitals, is usually agreed at Stormont.

This year the secretary of state will set the regional rate due to the lack of executive. Residents in the Belfast City Council area will be faced with the largest rates rise with an increase of 7.99%. This will result in an average household paying an extra 63p per week, or £32.76 per annum.

Meanwhile, Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has announced the lowest increase in rates with a rise of 5.43%. On average, households in the area will pay an extra 53p per week, or £27.35 per year.

All full list of rate rises can be found below:

  • Belfast City Council

Rates increase of 7.99%. On average households will pay an extra 63p per week, or £32.76 per annum

  • Derry and Strabane District Council

Rates increase of 7.97%. Residents will pay an extra £40.74 per annum or 78p a week.

  • Newry Mourne and Down District Council

Rates increase of 5.99%. Households, on average, will pay an additional £33.05 per annum or 64p a week

  • Fermanagh and Omagh District Council

Rates increase of 5.59%. Those living in the area will spend and extra £21 per annum or 40p a week

  • Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council

Rates increase of 7.49%. The increase will see an additional £35.36 added to bills per annum, or 68p a week

  • Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council

Rates increase of 7.95%. Average households will spend an additional 79p a week, or £41.08 a year.

  • Mid Ulster District Council

Rate increase of 7.3%. That will roughly cost households an extra £32.24 per annum, or 62p per week

  • Ards and North Down Borough Council

Rates increase of 6.8%. Households will spend an additional £36 a year, or 69p a week.

  • Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council

Rates increase of 5.96%. Residents will spend an extra 47p a week or £24.44 a year.

  • Mid and East Antrim Borough Council

Rates increase of 5.43%. On average, households in the area will pay an extra 53p per week, or £27.35 per year.

  • Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council

Rates increase of 4.9%. The increase will cost an extra £20.8 per annum or 40p a week.

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