South Ayrshire Council News

Rent increases of 4.9% for 2008/09 were approved for council houses in South Ayrshire at a meeting of the Full Council.

In June 2005 the Council considered and approved a Housing 30 year Business Plan which has led to record levels of investment in housing improvements. The Plan takes into account:

• Capital and revenue spending
• Capital borrowing to fund expenditure (with no additional borrowing planned at this stage)
• Cost of repairing properties
• Cost of modernisation programmes
• General inflation
• Council house sales

The Business Plan is continually reviewed and updated on an annual basis.

The annual increase has been agreed with tenants at a level of 1% above inflation. It is based on the Retail Price Index published by the Treasury in September each year.
Members of the Council however agreed that over the coming financial year the Council’s Housing Panel members would examine whether this rate of increase is the correct one to apply. 

Details of base rents for 24 charging fortnights are as follows:

Size 2007/08 2008/09
Per fortnight (2007/08 + 4.9%) fortnight
1 Apt, double glazed £85.22 £85.22 (+£4.18) = £89.40
3 Apt, double glazed £93.56 £93.56 (+£4.58) = £98.14
5 Apt, double glazed £102.16 £102.16 (+£5.01) = £107.17

The Council also set the level of rents that will be charged in 2008/09 for garages, garage sites and garden maintenance. 

The charge for renting a lock-up garage in 2008/09 will increase from £5.18 to £5.43.
Garage site rents are charged where tenants erect their own garage on a Council owned site. The 2008/09 charge will increase from £41.02 to £43.03 per annum. 

Garden Maintenance charges for 2008/09 will increase from £125.31 to £131.45 per annum excluding VAT where applicable.