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Businesses within the boundary of what was formerly Fermoy Town Council are facing a rise of 22% on their rates over the next five years. Photo: 123rf

Businesses within the boundary of what was formerly Fermoy Town Council are facing a rise of 22% on their rates over the next five years.

Since the abolition of Fermoy Town Council earlier this year, rates will be paid to Cork County Council at an increase of 22% compared to what they were previously paying to the town council. The increase comes into being from 2015.

Previously, Fermoy, after Mallow, charged the second lowest rate in the county for business rate inside their boundary, which stretched from the Courthouse to Aldi on the Dublin Road and up the Cork Road. Businesses outside of this boundary, such as SuperValu, Lidl and Amber, have always paid their rates to Cork County Council.

Cllr Noel McCarthy, speaking to The Avondhu this week, said the towns businesses are going to suffer from the rate increase. “It’s going to be a big, big problem. There are ratepayers in the town who are finding it difficult to pay their rate at the lower rate, so when it does go up to a higher one, they are going to find it even more difficult.

“Now what the County Manager has said, and I think it’s been agreed nationally, is that any towns like Fermoy wouldn’t have the 22% increase put on in the first year. I think it’s over a five-year period, it might be 4% next year, there will be another increase in 2016, but eventually in five or six years time, all businesses in Fermoy are facing a 22% increase on what they were paying for years within Fermoy Town Council,” Cllr McCarthy said.

Local councillors last week rejected the proposed 2015 municipal district budget over concerns about inequality in pay parking, with Fermoy being the only town without free parking. Cllr McCarthy said businesses couldn’t cope with the rate increase as well as the continuation of pay parking within the town.

“There has to be some concession. We were told there would be some benefit to towns with pay parking, but unless we know we can’t make a decision (on the budget),” Cllr McCarthy added.

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