PEEL Town Commissioners’ chairman Eric Beale has stated it is ‘very upsetting’ that development plans for the town have been scrapped.
Mr Beale was speaking of his disappointment after the commissioners announced that the Peel rate for 2013-14 is to remain the same at 242 pence in the pound.
However, due to the Department of Infrastructure’s withdrawal of the waste disposal subsidy it means the commissioners have had to factor an increased cost of £42,000 for the coming financial year.
The separate annual refuse charge for domestic properties, which covers the cost of the bin collection contract, the waste disposal charge at the Energy From Waste Plant and Peel’s contribution to the cost of running the Western Civic Amenity Site will have to increase significantly.
Therefore, the current waste disposal charge per dwelling per annum of £128.50 will increase to £152.00.
The commissioners said that they had planned ‘an ambitious programme of improvements to the town’, which included a major refurbishment/improvement scheme in Marine Parade that would have included a new play area, five-a-side football pitch and combined basketball court, replacement fencing, new lighting and repairs to the bowling green.
Other spending planned included a new disabled access to the Ward Library, additional CCTV coverage and part funding of an extra outreach worker for the town to cover Friday and Saturday evenings.
It was also intended to purchase a replacement beach harrow.
Mr Beale said: ‘I am absolutely miffed about it. It is appalling we’ve spent a long time on our budget, we wanted to gain something in the town along with improvements, especially for the kids.
‘It is very upsetting and I am not happy at all.
‘I would like to think the town [people] will say: “What is going on in government?”.’
He added: ‘The kids are going to miss out on things, we wanted to give them more to do.
‘We also wanted to get an extra outreach worker, which they need at the youth club. The outreach workers are doing a superb job, but government are not prepared to give them the money.
‘We spoke to the police and they thought their [outreach workers] help would be tremendous for the kids.’
• Onchan’s rate is to rise by 4p in the pound to 271p in the pound; Castletown’s rate remains at 320p in the pound; Lezayre’s rate is to increase from 67p in the pound to 70.5p in the pound.
