Rents of Angus Council houses are to rise by 4.8%, following a consultation process with tenants’ groups throughout the county.

The council’s Neighbourhood Services committee agreed to the rise today, Tuesday 8 February, and also heard that 100 new houses are to be built in Angus.

The rise, which still leaves Angus tenants paying amongst the lowest rents in Scotland at an average of £49.90 a week, will enable the council to increase its planned programme of upgrading and modernising its housing stock, and new house building.

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Convener of Housing, Councillor Jim Millar said: “Year after year our tenants work hard to ensure this report reflects what they want from the year ahead and that we listen very carefully to their views. This year has been no exception and I thank our tenants for their efforts this year.

“The council will invest more than £12 million pounds in a house building programme across the county. 83 houses are to be built and with further plans for more housing in Forfar, the total will rise to 100. These houses will be the first new wholly council funded homes in a generation."

He added: “We also know that our tenants wish to see the development of a refreshed incentive package to encourage people living in houses now too big for their needs, to downsize and free up larger homes for rent to families. We will be bringing forwards details and costs of this initiative to the next meeting of Neighbourhood Services committee.”

(GK)