Rates in Garff go up 4.7 per cent on average

Residents in Laxey, Lonan and Maughold will see their bills for services provided by the commissioners go up due to waste collection, inflation, and staffing costs.

Rates in the three wards which make up the Garff local authority are going to inc rease by an average of 4.7 per cent from 1 April.

Commissioners approved the rise at a meeting this week (22 Jan) which amounts to an average of 7p extra in the pound.

Above-inflation increases in the cost of refuse collection and disposal, and rises in charges at civic amenity sites are blamed for the increase, as well as ‘additional staffing costs’.

The authority, which was first created in 2015, is undergoing a period of ‘equalisation’ to bring all three wards to the same rate.

It’s the fourth year of this process, which has seen the rural parishes of Lonan and Maughold pay steadily more to bring them into line with Laxey.

Garff Commissioners also separate out the cost of waste collection and disposal from rates by having a refuse charge.