Latest news with #levies
Irish Times
a day ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Derelict properties: CIÉ has not paid levies on vacant site as it has not received ‘any bills'
State public transport company CIÉ , which owns several properties laying vacant in Dublin city since the 1980s, has not paid any levies since they were declared derelict in 2019 as it has not received 'any bills' to date. Four public bodies, including the Department of Education , have paid a combined total of more than €550,000 to Dublin City Council in dereliction levies and interest accrued. The sites include those earmarked for a school which first received planning permission almost two decades ago, but remain vacant and derelict. While the publicly owned sites have been added to Dublin City Council's Derelict Sites Register in recent years, some have lain vacant since the 1980s, such as those owned by CIÉ. READ MORE Last valued at €300,000 in 2019, the row of four buildings at 10-13 Conyngham Road, Dublin 8, were added to the register that same year; however, no levies have been paid since. Although the properties have been owned by CIÉ since 1965 and were last used as offices in the 1980s, a spokesman said it is 'currently considering a number of options for these properties at the moment'. The derelict sites levy is charged annually at 7 per cent of the market value, beginning the year after it is added, meaning €126,000 has gone unpaid. This is excluding the additional monthly interest of 1.25 per cent on unpaid levies. 'It isn't that CIÉ does not have to pay derelict sites levies, but that CIÉ is not aware of any bills having been issued for these properties,' the spokesman said. Dublin City Council did not respond to requests for comment on the matter. Meanwhile, the Department of Education has paid €58,800 to the council for four derelict Dublin 1 properties since they were placed on the register in 2023 when they were valued at €420,000 in total. This is in addition to €367.50 in interest, which the department attributed to a late payment. A spokeswoman said the properties 'came into the ownership of the Department of Education and Youth in 2013'. However, planning permission for a school was granted in 2008 when it was known as the Department of Education and Science. Funding for the project was placed on hold but approval was ultimately given in 2013 to proceed, according to planning documents. Permission was subsequently granted again for a similar project in 2015, though the site went undeveloped. An application to extend the permission was granted in 2021 until 2026. The department said the project is now at an 'advanced stage of architectural planning' though enabling works are required as the site has been deemed unsafe. It said it is not possible to outline timelines. Separately, the HSE has paid €377,523 to Dublin City Council since 2023 for properties on James's Street in Dublin 8. This includes €32,912 in interest accrued due to initial non-payment of the levies as it was unaware the legislation applied to State bodies. It subsequently applied to the council to have the interest waived which was ultimately declined. The spokesman said the future use of numbers 162-165, James's Street, which it acquired for €2.425 million, is still being considered. The Land Development Agency, meanwhile, has paid €130,725 to Dublin City Council since 2022 for three properties at Thomas Court. This includes €4,725 in interest accrued in 2022 for non-payment. The figure does not include an additional €42,000 for 2025, for which the LDA said it is awaiting a payment demand from the council. A spokesman for the LDA said it acquired the properties in 2021 and intends to demolish them to allow for the wider regeneration of the Pear Tree Crossing lands.
BBC News
31-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
York Council backs call for increased business levies
Hikes in levies paid to York's Business Improvement District (BID) are necessary in order to allow the business-led body to continue its services, events, and efforts to attract investment, according to a York Council has also backed plans to expand the BID area by a further 10 streets, raising the number of levy-paying businesses to drawn up by the BID's board would see annual levies rise from 1% to 1.6% of the rateable value of each eligible commercial property. A further 2% yearly increase would be applied to cover inflation, with a cap of £20, report called BID's current financial framework "unsustainable" arguing it had not changed since 2016. An increase in levies, and expanding the BID's area to include more streets, would help fund essential services provided by BID, such as street cleaning, security personnel and cycle proposals by the BID board are set to be discussed by the council's executive on 3 June, ahead of a ballot on whether to renew the body's term for a further five members, including the council, are set to be balloted in October - with the new arrangements taking effect from April next year, if they are will also be asked to endorse the BID's business plan - due to be drafted by late summer - which will set out its plans and priorities until 2031. Under new proposals, 10 new streets would also be added to the area covered by York BID, taking in those included in its Purple Flag safety campaign and other are: Blossom Street, Bootham, The Crescent, Eboracum Way, Esplanade Court, Frederic Street, Heworth Green, Layerthorpe, Marygate and Marygate additions would increase the number of levy-paying businesses from 892 currently - which together contribute about £800,000-a-year - to 974 the report stated business revaluations, which took place in 2023, lowered rateable values by £4.16m, compared to 2017 - meaning the overall amount of levies collected is expected to fall. Rising footfall Services provided by York BID include daily street cleaning, street rangers, taxi and riverside marshals and cycle storage, along with seating and floral body also helps to organise events, including York Restaurant Week, the annual winter illuminations, the Colour and Light display and Ghosts in the also provides subsidised skills training for businesses, in partnership with York St John University, and monitors city-centre footfall, visitor numbers and spending report stated the BID had invested £7.6m into York city centre since it was established, with footfall rising by 7.5% from 2023 to vacancy rates were at their lowest rate in almost 18 months at 7.4% at the end of last year, under the BID's tenure, the report claimed that progress would be jeopardised if the BID's term is not renewed and levy hikes do not go report stated: "The current financial framework of the BID is unsustainable as arrangements have been in place since 2016."The BID Board is clear that changes must be implemented to secure its operations for a further five-year term."The Local Democracy Reporting Service has contacted York BID for further comment. Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
News.com.au
12-05-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
The U.S.-China Tariffs Agreement, Explained
The agreement between the U.S. and China to cut levies imposed on each other marks a major thaw in trade relations. WSJ's Jason Douglas explains what it means for the world's two largest economies.
