Rent rise for council house improvements questioned

By Andy Morris Thursday 19 February 2015 Updated: 19/02 09:21

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COUNCIL housing rents in Rugby will go up by an average of 93 a year to pay for improvements to make them cheaper to heat - despite claims from a borough councillor that it could have been done without raising prices.

A programme to replace council houses windows and doors, update central heating systems and connect homes to the gas main has been approved by Rugby Borough Council.

Rents will rise by the consumer prices index plus one per cent from April 1 to pay for the improvements, in line with government guidance - meaning an average weekly rent rise of 1.80.

But Labour group leader and parliamentary candidate Coun Claire Edwards said a rent freeze would have been affordable without shelving the improvement programme.

She said: Instead of spending 10.6million on window replacement, we could have used 320,000 to allow for a rent freeze and still spend 10.3million on window replacement over the next three years.

An average rent increase of 1.80 per week may sound reasonable, but we had a one-off one-year chance to freeze both rents and council tax.

"Too many council tenants are facing hard times after years of horrendously high rents well in excess of inflation, and a freeze would have made a real difference.

But Liberal Democrat Coun Bill Lewis, ward councillor for Rokeby and Overslade, said it was good news that the improvements would be carried out.

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Rent rise for council house improvements questioned