COUNCIL house rents in Blackburn and Darwen will rise by three per cent, an average of £1.49 a week, from April.

The latest rise, agreed by the council's policy and resources committee last night, will see average rents rise above £50 per week for the first time.

But it is one of the lowest rises in recent years, even though it is slightly above inflation, which currently stands of 2.5 per cent.

Housing committee chairman Coun Stephen Greenwood said: "Councils across the North West have received a lower than average allocation of housing resources from the government this year.

"Despite this, we have still been able to protect out overall budgets for repair and maintenance of homes in Blackburn with Darwen with this small increase in rents.

"However, national under-investment in housing maintenance over the past 10 years means that more of the money will have to be spent on the backlog of routine repairs rather than on much needed improvements."

Coun Greenwood added that the transfer of the council housing stock to a newly-created local housing company was the best way to bring in the additional money needed to bring the council's stock up to modern day standards.

"Tenants will be asked to vote on whether they want to transfer later this year.

"This would seem to be the best way of securing funds for improvements to properties."

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