Northern Ireland

Causeway council to undergo 'forensic audit' after financial problems

Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council officials have proposed cuts to a raft of public services due to its financial problems
Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council officials have proposed cuts to a raft of public services due to its financial problems Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council officials have proposed cuts to a raft of public services due to its financial problems

A COUNCIL is to undergo a "forensic audit" following financial problems which have led to proposals to hike rates and slash a raft of public services.

Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council has warned of an "extremely difficult and challenging" budget for the next financial year due to "significant high level pressures".

Officials have proposed a 10 per cent hike in household rates – believed to be the largest by any of Northern Ireland's 11 councils since their inception.

Around £1.5 million in cuts are also proposed for the year across a range of council services.

These include black bin collections becoming monthly rather than fortnightly, reduced street cleaning services, increased car-parking fees, closing public toilets and not hiring a new GAA development officer.

The closure of Waterworld in Portrush and a more than 40 per cent increase in street trading licence fees for the Lammas Fair are also among the proposals.

The local authority is proposing a 2.18 per cent rise in the non-domestic rate and 9.99 per cent rise in the domestic rate, according to documents discussed at Tuesday night's council meeting.

A decision on the proposed cuts and rates increase was postponed by councillors.

They instead agreed to appoint the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), as well as commissioning a "forensic audit" by independent consultants.

Sinn Féin's Cara McShane welcomed the council backing her proposal on CIPFA involvement, which was described as giving "immediate and urgent assistance with the current rate-setting process".

The SDLP's Margaret Anne McKillop, who was involved in proposing the appointment of independent consultants, said they would examine "what needs to be done to pull this crisis out of the fire".

Concerns escalated last month after independent councillor Padraig McShane said he had obtained leaked minutes of a meeting in which senior staff warned of the "financial crisis".

The documents claimed the council was around £75 million in debt and suggested a 15 per cent increase in rates would be needed in the next financial year to run services.

Mr McShane welcomed the plans for an independent audit.

"Our council has questions to answer the ratepayers on a number of fronts. When we claim to act for the public, we must do so in their best interest," he said.

"I cannot sanction or support the additional charges to the people until a full external audit takes place."

The Audit Office has met with councillors to discuss concerns about the council's finances.

The Department for Communities has also confirmed it is "aware of the financial position" and "further meetings" are planned between the council and Stormont officials.