Castletown Rates Information (Debtors & Rateable Value of Properties)

Summary

The Treasury disclosed total rate debt and debtor counts for Castletown over the last five financial years but refused to provide current rateable values by address, citing that the information is already reasonably accessible via the Valuations Office.

Key Facts

• Total rate arrears for Castletown increased from £3,517.14 in 2020/21 to £52,343.16 in 2024/25.
• The number of properties with rate arrears rose from 4 in 2020/21 to 80 in 2024/25.
• Part 3 of the request for rateable values by address was refused under Section 20 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015.
• The Treasury directed the requester to the Valuations Office to inspect and copy valuation records free of charge.
• The request was received on 10 April 2025 and the final response was issued on 7 May 2025.

Data Disclosed

• £3,517.14
• £3,822.12
• £5,730.15
• £11,935.44
• £52,343.16
• 4
• 7
• 10
• 23
• 80
• 2020/21
• 2021/22
• 2022/23
• 2023/24
• 2024/25
• 2025-04-10
• 2025-05-07
• 4581005

Exemptions Cited

• Section 20 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015 (Information reasonably accessible)

Original Request

I seek the following information in relation to Castletown Local Authority rates: The total amount of rate debt for Castletown as of the end of each of the last 5 full financial years; and The number of debtors for each financial year to which the figures provided above refer; and The current rateable value by address for each rateable residential and business property in Castletown;

Data Tables (2)

Full Response Text

Freedom of Information
Seyrsnys Fysseree

The Treasury Government Office,
Douglas Isle of Man, IM1 3PU

Telephone: (01624) 685605 Email: FOI.Treasury@gov.im

Government Website: www.gov.im

Our ref: 4581005 7 May 2025

Dear ###,

We write further to your request, received 10 April 2025 and amended 23 April 2025, which states (numbering added by Treasury):

"I seek the following information in relation to Castletown Local Authority rates:

Part 1 The total amount of rate debt for Castletown as of the end of each of the last 5 full financial years; and

Part 2 The number of debtors for each financial year to which the figures provided above refer; and

Part3 The current rateable value by address for each rateable residential and business property in Castletown;"

Our response to your request is as follows:

Part 1
Based on information held by the Treasury please find below the total amount of rate arrears for each of the last 5 financial years.

2020/21

2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25 £3,517.14 £3,822.12

£5,730.15 £11,935.44 £52,343.16

Part 2 Based on information held by the Treasury please find below the number of properties which relate to the total amount of rate arrears for each of the last 5 financial years.

2020/21

2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25 4

7 10 23 80

Part 3 While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, under section 20 of the Act, we are not required to provide information in response to a request if it is already reasonably accessible to you, whether free of charge or on payment of a fee.

The information that you have requested for this part of your request is available from the Treasury Valuations Office. Under the Rating and Valuations Act 1953 it states “Any person…shall have the right, free of charge, to inspect all valuations…and shall have liberty to make copies thereof”.

The Valuations Office contact details are as follows:

Central Government Offices
First floor
Bucks Road
Douglas
IM1 3PZ

01624 685658

rates@gov.im

Please quote the reference number 4581005 in any future communications.

Your right to request a review

If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post.

An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded.

If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on; 1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or 2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.

In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision. More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im. Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi.

I will now close your request as of this date.