“now it’s run from a prefabricated extension to the house..”
The BBC’s Mark Devenport was, apparently, talking to UUP MLA Billy Armstrong about his prefabricated constituency office “owned by his wife and based on their farm”, for which he had been claiming rental costs from public funds, but Mark doesn’t appear to have seen the Belfast Telegraph beforehand. According to a report there, and in contrast to the previous descripton given here – that “the prefabricated constituency office was “purpose built” and is located on lawns close to his home” – Mr Armstrong now claims that the office was “an extension to his home and he does not consider that planning permission is required.”
A DoE Planning Service spokeswoman said: “The Divisional Planning Office has no record of planning permission being granted for a constituency office or an associated sign at this location. Enforcement action is not under way but the alleged breach will now be investigated by the division.”
The full response to David Gordon’s FoI request on the rent claimed by MLAs is noted here – downloadable as a Word document here.
Details of the landlords of MLA offices have been withheld by Stormont officials. This decision will be challenged, if necessary through a complaint to the Information Commissioner, the watchdog for the FOI Act.
The Assembly argued that revealing the identity of commercial landlord interests could cause them financial difficulties.
Its FOI response said: “Despite the considerable political developments in Northern Ireland in recent times, the potential for economic sanctions towards commercial interests from a differing community background persists.”
Paul, if you view this scam as shrewd business rather than feathering your own nest, then that’s your perogative so carry on voting DUP. I frankly see this as abuse of a flawed system by people who are claiming to be pious with our money. I resent my taxes being used to pay for some MLA’s property portfolio and retirement package on top of the retirement package they will automatically recieve for being an MLA for 3 years. Why are people cynical? because some politicians who wax lyerical about morals are clearly scaming all of us.
So let me get this right.Billy Armstrong has an office/extension which he pays his wife rent,he has no planning permission for his office or sign,he employs his wife and daughter,his other daughter tried to avoid planning permission on her business in his house,he claims all but £30 from the maximum office allowances of £48K and he sits on the committee that scrutinises planners. What is he doing wrong!!!
Is he not an embareesment to the UUP. Reg needs to act and remove this man rather than write letters to the PM pleading to appoint a commission to deal with MLA’s pay which really means we want more money but get someone else to award it to us. Reg we are watching how you deal with Portacabin Billy.
Shame on some of you.
Remember the Lord said
“Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s portacabin.”
The fact that Billy is not sure wether he has an office or an extension just goes to show the quality of the UUP. It doesn’t matter what it is,it still needs planning permission. If the planning office are not aware of an application then the rates office will not have been informed so Billy would have paid no rates. Great idea of Billy to start a rates strike.Does the environment committee,which Billy sits on, not have an overseeing role on the rates department?
Would this be called “inside trading”.
“Why are people cynical?”
JD, take a look at Bushmills Conservation – Wha’s Lik Us (updated with photos – click ‘blight’) and Blot on the Landscape to see how well the planners, local politicians and ministers are protecting our conservation zones and areas of outstanding natural beauty. Bushmills is designated as a gateway to the Giant’s Causeway – but who’d want to stop in a place like this!!
Before we get too high and mighty why shouldn’t someone be able to use part of their house for business.
If his extension is less than 75cu.m (if detached) then it is permitted development unless it is greater than 3.6m high within 3.6m of the boundary and the noon is in the third quadrant when the foundations were laid. Something like that.
Think of the advantages of working from home,
no commercial rates,
no rent,
less travel.
Environmentally very friendly and then he has to go and blow it.
When you work from home in normal tax returns you are allowed some token costs so one would imagine a similar situation should apply for expenses.
Not the same Crataegus,
If you are running a business you are not being funded by the taxpayer to do so. If you are using your own money then you are free to use your home as a business or employ relatives, things get mach more dubious if the public are funding it.
Billy might scam the Mid-Ulster UUP to some extent but his ineptitude for probity in handling public money is pretty obvious to all. All of us, that is!
Now it is over to the gentlemen of the Planning Department to pursue the flagrant breaching of the regulations.
And it is over to the gentlemen of the Rates Collection Agency to pursue the consequential ten years of unpaid rates.
And it is over to the gentlemen of the Inland Revenue to investigate any corresponding breaches of taxation returns over the past 10 years.
And it is over to the gentlemen of the media to illuminate cases such as this so that the taxes collected from the working man and woman to finance MLAs and MPs are used in an efficient manner.
And it is over to the gentlemen of the UUP to purge themselves of this rather parasitical appendage – although I rather suspect that they will prove to have the least teeth of all in the end. I think Empey must have left the country!
Perhaps someone will know of the relevant official addresses of the above to copy this link to so that the full rigours of the law are brought into play.
The public purse has to be protected from any taint of fraud or evasion and these are the people who are tasked to act.
JD
If you are running a business you are not being funded by the taxpayer to do so. If you are using your own money then you are free to use your home as a business or employ relatives, things get much more dubious if the public are funding it.
I know!
Hence; “When you work from home in normal tax returns you are allowed some token costs so one would imagine a similar situation should apply for expenses”.
What I was trying to say was if you work from home you should only be charging some nominal expenses as you would against tax and not as our enlightened MLA has been doing. I was also trying to make the point that centring his activity at home should reduce his need to travel and associated costs!
On a general point about working from home I am strongly of the view that we should be encouraging more people to do so. Lots of reasons but well off topic.
Cross-referencing the office rentals revealed by David Gordon’s FoI query with the DFP’s 5th Valuation List (as at 31/03/07) reveals some curious results. Some of the office addresses (like Billy Armstrong’s discussed above) are registered as private properties and include:
Armstrong Billy (UUP), Prospect House, Croagh Rd, Stewartstown, BT71 5JH (£123.00 House (Agricultural)) RENT £4,200.00
Bresland Allan (DUP), 51 Main Street, Newtownstewart BT78 4AD (£136 House Outbuildings Yard, or 51A Shop £2,500) RENT £6,000.00 RATES £714.21
Brollie Francie (SF), 10 Church Street, Kilrea, BT51 5QU (£105 House Outbuilding Garden) RENT £4,160.00 RATES £1,784.73
McCarthy Kieran (AP), 7 Main St, Kircubbin, Newtownards, BT22 2SS (£105.00 house) RENT £5,400.00
McQuillan Adrian (DUP), 7 Moneydig Park, Garvagh, BT51 5JP (£165.00 House Outbuilding Garden) RENT £1,200.00
Newton Robin (DUP), 149 Lower Braniel Road, Belfast BT5 7NN (£250.00 House Outbuilding Garden) RENT £9,600.00
More curious still is that some of the office addresses can’t be found in the valuations database. For some MLA’s this is because the address detail needed hasn’t been provided; e.g., the house number) but other addresses just don’t exist in the database:
Butler Paul (SF), W2 Colin Centre, Stewartstown Road, Belfast (insufficient address detail)
Dallat John (SDLP), 11 Bridge St, Kilrea, Co Londonderry, BT48 6JZ (no number 11 – odd numbers start at 55)
Dallat John (SDLP), Shop Unit, Newton Square, Limavady, BT49 (insufficient address detail)
Dodds Nigel (DUP) 210 Shore Road, Belfast, BT15 3QB (no number 210, 206 is house and 212 are offices)
Donaldson Jeffrey (DUP), The Old Town Hall, 29 Castle Street, Lisburn BT27 4DH (postcode not found. No number 29. No.’s 27A, B, C, D E and 31 is BT27 4SP)
Hamilton Simon (DUP), 1 Bridge Street Link, Comber (address not found)
McCann Jennifer (SF), W2 Colin Centre, Stewartstown Road, Belfast (insufficient address detail)
McCausland Nelson (DUP), 256 Ballysillan Road, Belfast, BT14 7QT (no. 227 is highest no. in Cliftonville, No. 256 in Ballysillan not found in database).
McClarty David (UUP), Irish Green Street, Limavady, BT49 9AA (House no. needed – no. 9 is described as Advice Centre).
McIlveen Michelle (DUP), Unit 1, Alexander House, Bridge Street (insufficient address detail – no town or postcode given)
McQuillan Adrian (DUP), 55 Main Street, Garvagh, BT51 5AE (Not found – no number 55, 53 is youth centre and 57 is shop, 155 Main St. is private house with postcode BT51 5AB)
Poots Edwin (DUP), Former Town Hall, Castle St, Lisburn, BT27 4SP (need house no.)
Robinson George (DUP), Units 3 & 4 Sindy’s Shopping Mall, Catherine St, Limavady, BT49 9DB (need house no.)
Savage George (UUP), 2 Castlewellan Road, B’Bridge, BT32 4AX (No number 2 found in database, no.’s start at 7).
DQ, there’s a #11 Bridge Street Kilrea in the 5th Revaluation with John Dallat’s office listed. It’s next door to #13, a licensed restaurant.
You might also note there’s at least one curiosity re the ‘DUP office’ in Bushmills.
“Paisley Ian Jnr
DUP
9-11 Church Street, Ballymena, BT44 8QU
£28,600.00
£2,383.33
Paisley Rev
DUP
42a Main Street, Bushmills, BT57 8QA
£2,100.00
£175.00
Paisley Rev
DUP
9-11 Church Street, Ballymena, BT44 8QU
£28,600.00
£2,383.33″
The correct address is 142A, Main Street, and the office in other places is linked to IPjr not IPsr. As I’ve pointed out elsewhere this appears to be a rates-exempt office as it is branded “Bushmills Community Advice Centre”. I don’t understand why the DUP removed its name from this office; the only benefit would appear to be that of rates exemption. The office is also used by DUP councillors.
I can’t help but be amused by the proud way the the boul’ Billy claims that all of his four staff are employed by him at great cost – even if it hurts his own pocket!
It appears however that not even one of them, including Billy, merit any points on knowledge on basics like planning regulations or rating requirements.
How come such a group can day and daily lord it over the vast bulk of their ordinary working neighbours who have to earn our every penny by the sweat of our brows?
The deafening silence of the UUP on this 10 year-old Mid-Ulster running sore speaks volumes.
Has Reg Empey flitted over to Portugal for a wee think and is there more scandal to bury?
Will Billy be forced to fall on his own graip come Monday or will Reg actually line him up for a gong?
At least the DUP, for all their inconsistencies, knew when the game was up with Ian Og!
Pia Lugum
Could agree more.It is obvious that Reg is fully behind Billy.What other party leader would allow a member under a cloud of allegations to remain in post. The laughable thing about Reg is allowing Billy to remain on the environment committee which oversees planning policies but then again the Deputy leader of UUP defended Billy last week. This shows the lengths that the UUP go to “clean up” their act.
While the rates agency and planners are investigating Billy it might also be an idea if the local council’s building control was contacted to check if Billy has approval for his Hut/office/extension. If Billy hasnt then he might not be insured.