Charges for extra bins in village set to rise 20%

Refuse charges are set to rise for residents and businesses in a village in the east of the Isle of Man after the the local authority voted to increase the fee for an additional bin.

Onchan Commissioners debated putting up fees for domestic and commercial customers, and agreed that some services were running at a loss and money needed to be recuperated.

The local authority agreed to increase the fee for residents with an additional bin by 20% per bin from April.

But some members voiced concerns, with commissioner Robin Turton arguing the increased charge would be too much for some residents and should be reduced.

The authority's vice-chairman, Scott Wilson, said for families of five or six, an extra bin might be a "necessity".

The move would see residents charged £72 for a 120 litre bin - a £12 increase on the two prior years, while those with an additional 240 litre or 360 litre bin would be charged £144 and £216 respectively.

The additional bin service, which is optional, is used by roughly 60 households in the village.

Commissioner Gabriella Corkish said if people felt the cost was too much, they could cancel the service and use the civic amenity site instead.

Businesses using the 240 litre bins would be charged £176.40 per annum for each bin, while those with a capacity of 360, 660 or 1,100 litres would see their fees go up to £264, £396 and £528 respectively.

It was confirmed by the authority's clerk, Ross Philips, that the charges included the provision of the bin, collection and disposal, and the administration of the service.

The local authority said the cost of provision, specifically the additional collection, was not covering the authority's expenditure, which included staffing costs, fuel and vehicle costs, as well as the fee to dispose waste at the Energy from Waste Plant in Douglas.

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