Council tenants face biggest rent increase in four years
RISE OF 2.7 PER CENT PROPOSED BUT AN IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAMME IS CONTINUING
COUNCIL tenants across Nuneaton and Bedworth face the biggest rent increase in four years.
Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council is proposing to increase the amount its tenants have to pay by 2.7 per cent.
This comes after a four-year period where rent was reduced by at least one per cent, following a ruling from the government.
But this ruling no longer stands so, in the budget for 2020/21, the council is proposing a 2.7 per cent rise.
Other charges are set to be increased by 2.7 per cent, including garage rents.
Resident Michele Kondakor raised concerns about homeless hostel rents being increased by 2.7 per cent as well but Town Hall leader, Councillor Julie Jackson, stressed a large proportion of tenants can claim Housing Benefit or Universal Credit to pay for this.
Cllr Chris Watkins, cabinet member for housing, explained that the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) was facing a ‘number of significant’ challenges but added that the council was ploughing ahead with plans to continue to make much-needed improvements to council homes. “The HRA budget continues to face a number of significant challenges notably from the increased levels of Right to Buys, which reduces out stock and future income generation.
“Our planned improvements to tenants homes and ongoing investment into new homes to partly mitigate the Right to Buy sales is continuing.”
Cllr Keith Kondakor praised the work to improve cladding at council homes, which helps reduce energy bills and carbon emissions and asked if the council could look into fitting solar panels to further help this Cllr Ian Lloyd extolled the virtues of the council’s new windows and doors programme, which he says has made a difference to flats in Queen Elizabeth Road in Camp
Hill.
“Continuing to improve our properties is absolutely fantastic, equally I know some of insulation works has absolutely transformed properties as well.”
His comments were echoed by Cllr Neil Phillips, deputy leader, who said:”I am really pleased with the aims of this council and its properties with the decent homes project, where we are maintaining high standards.
“The boiler upgrades, all of the fire safety works and the new build and acquisition. As a council we are being very proactive in the fact that we plan to build more council homes because we do lose, through Right to Buy, around 50 homes a year.
“There are a lot of things that we do as a council for our housing tenants.”
The final decision on proposed rent increases and the improvement programme will be made at the annual Council Tax and budget setting meeting at the Town Hall on Monday night (February 17).