Tenants agree to pay higher water rates

October 1984

A four-year-old dispute between Wexford County Council and the residents of a large Wexford housing estate over the payment of water charges has ended with the residents agreeing to pay the charges.

The residents of Ashfield Drive and Belvedere Grove met on Tuesday night to consider the latest development in the dispute – a final notice from the County Council to pay arrears within seven days or else face legal action.

Over 132 houses were involved, with many owing arrears of £173 built up over the last four years.

On Wednesday morning a spokesman for the residents informed County Council officials that arrangements were being made to pay the money. Talks are now expected to begin on method of payment with Council officials accepting that many people will be unable to pay the entire £173 for some time.

Tenants in Ashfield Drive and Belvedere Grove have been refusing to pay water rates to Wexford County Council since 1981 because the estates were built by Wexford Corporation and rents are paid to the Municipal Buildings. But the houses are outside the actual town boundary and are thus in the County Council administrative area. As such they are liable for the County Council water rates, which are higher than the Corporation water rates.

‘We always accepted that we should pay water rates just like everybody else, because the water doesn’t come from nowhere and we accept there are costs in bringing it to our houses,’ said the spokesman. ‘Our problem was just with being asked to pay the County Council rate when everything else to do with our homes is dealt with by the Corporation.’

County Council Finance Officer, Adrian Doyle, confirmed on Wednesday that the Council would still be prepared to go to court to get its money, if necessary. He said the Council is pursuing arrears vigorously through the legal process and will continue to do so.

‘We won’t insist on it all being paid at the one time,’ Mr Doyle said. ‘We are receptive to methods of payment on a weekly or monthly basis.’

Earlier on Wednesday the County Council had been urged to withdraw its threat of court action if the arrears were not paid.

The Wexford Branch of the Workers Party had urged them to take no further action until the Government had announced its local government reform proposals, as the town boundary would probably be extended and the entire Coolcots area would then be included the Wexford Corporation area.

This would then end the liability of tenants to County Council charges, which are higher than those in operation in the town.

Party Chairman, Michael Enright, said the Co. Council’s threat to ‘drag people before the courts’ is an insult to the PAYE sector because no such threat was made against farmers when there was a campaign against farm rates.