Derry Vox Pop: What are your thoughts on the rates increase?

Damian Barr from Derry wasn’t shocked by the rise: “I don’t know much about it, but I'd expect it’ll happen year on year, I knew there was an increase pending but I wasn’t sure how much it’d be. I pay through direct debit, so I won't notice it as much being spread out through the year.”

Helen Duffy from the Waterside said: "I didn’t even know there was a rise in rates, but it’s a disgrace. What's their reasoning? I don’t think the rates should've been raised but sure it doesn’t matter what I think!”

Dermot Logue from Derry felt the rise wasn’t too much: “Just have to go with it. I think that’s 80p a week, it’s not shattering. (Festivals) are the thing that make Derry what It is. Airport, Theatre these are all things we need for the city. 80p a week doesn’t really sound much to me, but maybe to some people it does sound a lot.”

Andy and Beverly from the Waterside took the rise with a pinch of salt: “It’s not too much, what else can we do but pay it. Everything's going up. Bringing money in Is important and cuts in other areas would affect the income in the city. So, when you look at it like that, it doesn’t seem so bad. At the end of the day, it works out at roughly £3.50 a month, that not even a coffee or half a pint.”

Liverpool native and Derry resident Bill Clarke: “It is what it is, you can't expect something for nothing. Stormont are a mess; nobody is taking responsibility. The council have got to raise money some way. The rates system here is different to England and the bottom line is you can't take what isn't there. People expect more from local services but are not willing to pay what they're worth for it. People want a new state of the art sports centre in Templemore, where is the money for it? If it's going to be of benefit to the local community they should have to pay in some way for it. This isn't excusing the Tories they have bled councils both here and in England dry.”

"Some councils in England are going bust, not being able to pay for simple things like child protection.”

Chris and Carol Roulston from Limavady: “It's too expensive everywhere, the whole of Northern Ireland is getting an 8% increase. I don’t know how people are going to afford it.”

Muff native Fiona Halpin had this to say: “It’s awful, not being from the city myself we pay for all our own bins and things anyways, but you don’t wish other people to be paying more for them in Derry. Our families live in Derry. People don’t get value for money as it is, and I think paying more they’ll feel like they're getting even less. At the time we moved to Muff we felt hard done by paying for our services, but at least now we get the service we pay for: nothing more, nothing less. My parents are in Belfast, and it just seems like they get more for their money than people here. Even during the ice, gritters were nowhere to be seen.”