Council tax stays same housing rents will rise

And Warwick District Council is also planning to implement another zero per cent rise on council tax from 2015 to 2016 as its budget remains healthy.

The council currently has a surplus of £660,000 allowing it to keep council tax levels the same - a cost of £146.86 per year for people living in Band D properties - and it is predicting another surplus for 2014/15.

In setting its budget at a meeting last week the authority also set aside £50,000 for employment initiatives while giving each of its community forums £1,500 towards the forthcoming World War I Commemorations.

Cllr Andrew Mobbs (Con, Kenilworth Park Hill), the leader of the district council, said: “This is another excellent performance by the council in generating a surplus which, yet again, enables us to have no increase to council tax.

“I am also pleased we have allocated funds to the employment initiatives. Readers will know I am keen to assist those who are actively seeking work to find employment as soon as possible.”

The council has agreed to a 3.7 per cent rise in rents for its tenants.

This would mean those paying £80 a week would now pay almost £3 extra a week or £12 a month.

Cllr Norman Vincett (Con, Kenilworth St John’s) who is responsible for policy on housing and property said by bringing forward a new government formula for calculating housing rents, which is being implemented in 2015, he had saved tennets from a six per cent rise.

He said the extra income would allow the council to accelerate its programme of building new housing stock ‘at the front end.

Cllr Vincett said: “We have 400 applicants waiting for houses and twe want to help these people.

“They need the houses today and I want to start doing something for them today.”