Clackmannanshire Council has approved a £14 million investment in its housing stock for the upcoming financial year. The decision was made at today's Council meeting, where councillors also agreed to a 10% increase in base rent and a new rental structure.

The new structure will result in 72% of tenants paying less rent per week from April than they would have under the previous system. The average weekly rent will now be £97.94. The council highlighted that rent increases since 2016 have remained below the rate of inflation.

The £14 million capital programme will fund various improvements and upgrades to council housing across Clackmannanshire. Further details on the specific projects to be undertaken are expected to be released in due course.

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This revised rent structure has been introduced following a review and engagement with our tenants, who supported variance in rent levels that more directly reflected:

• Property Size and Type

• Flatted Properties: whether the flat has a communal door and/or own door

• Ranking of Property Types: whether the house is mid terrace, end/semi and/or detached

• Other characteristics such as age of property, location and energy efficiency: factors should be constant and not be complicated in administration

Cllr Jane McTaggart, Spokesperson for Housing and Property said: "I am pleased to see the Housing budget agreed, following a year of significant work and engagement with our tenants. This feedback has directly influenced our plans, helping to design a fairer rent and service charge system which meets both customer requirements and Council responsibilities.

"This means that while there has been an increase in rent levels, nearly three-quarters of our tenants will be paying less rent than they would have been under the previous system. Our Housing Officers are committed to engaging with tenants who have seen a rise in their rent following the changes to the rent structure, and will offer their assistance to ensure household income maximisation is explored and tenants are supported.

"Our capital spending will allow us to continue to invest in improving our housing stock for our tenants, and in new homes to help meet the demand locally, while dealing with the increasing costs that we face."