LIVING in a council house is to cost more from April.

Council chiefs have increased the average weekly rent of a council house by £1.12 a week.

This will bring the average rent of a council house in the area to £35.54 - still one of the lowest in the North West.

The 3.3 percent increase, in line with a policy agreed at a full council meeting, will help pay for essential repairs and upgrading of properties, including a major window replacement programme which is already under way.

It backs up a Government initiative which, for the first time in years, allows councils to spend some of their assets from council house sales which were frozen under the Thatcher and Major Governments.

Other improvements agreed by councillors include upgrading sheltered accommodation for the elderly as well as environmental improvement scheme such as building fences and improving security and parking on housing estates.

Cllr Geoff Roberts, Chairman of the Housing Committee, said: "For the first time in years we are to see an improvement in the housing budget which will enable us to tackle the problems of disrepair in the housing stock."

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