Labour Councillors Oppose Massive 8.25% Council Rent Increase

Labour Councillors from Warren Hills Branch representing Greenhill and Ibstock and Heather are appalled at the massive 8.25% increase in rents for Council tenants, which was imposed by the controlling Conservative Group at the meeting of the North West Leics District Council on Thursday 23rd February.

The two wards of Greenhill and Ibstock and Heather have the most Council properties in the North West Leics District. Greenhill has nearly 800 Council properties and Ibstock & Heather has 413.

Fourteen Labour Councillors opposed the Tory budget which included these increases. The vote in the Council chamber to approve the Conservative budget was 20 for 15 against with 1 abstention.

Ron Adams and Dave De Lacy both spoke in the debate opposing the massive rent increase.

Dave De Lacy, in his first Council meeting since being elected as Councillor for Ibstock and Heather, specifically asked the Tories " What advice they would give to Council tenants who are desperately struggling to pay their bills and simply can`t afford to pay such a massive increase?"

Dave said after the meeting “Conservatives Councillors did not seem to have any advice for tenants, they didn’t seem to show any compassion at all.  This rent increase which is well above inflation will be absolutely devastating to hard pressed Council tenants”.

Ron Adams said in the debate – “I cannot and will not support this appalling rent increase of 8.25% for Council tenants. This equates to an increase of over £320 per year for some tenants within Greenhill. This is a vicious attack on Council tenants.”Ron stated after the meeting; “As a Councillor who represents nearly 800 Council tenants, I find this increase obscene!”

 Janet Ruff commented after the meeting "We are all in it together - What a joke. The Tories don’t seem to care about how council house tenants are going to afford this increase.  It seems to me that the less well off are again being asked to contribute far more than the wealthy and privileged in our society" 

Nick Clarke when told about the vote after the meeting said "I feel really sorry for all those council tenants who will now have to find this money from somewhere. Wages, pensions and most benefits are not going up anything like 8.25%. This increase could put tenants in severe financial difficulty.”

Issued by Councillors Ron Adams, Nick Clarke, Janet Ruff, Dave De Lacy

(We would like to make it clear under the Council’s code of conduct Nick Clarke quite properly declared a prejudicial interest, and did not take part in the debate because he has a close relative who is a Council tenant of NWLDC).