COUNCIL rent in the Wee County will increase by 1.5 per cent, if the housing revenue budget is approved tomorrow.

The rise will mean the average weekly rent with the local authority will be £75.56, if calculated for 52 weeks.

According to council papers, some people had raised concerns over affordability, although there was a small number of responses.

Documents to be tabled on Thursday, February 27, said: "One of the key factors highlighted through consultation (as well as through our recently undertaken tenant satisfaction survey) is that some tenants have expressed affordability concerns.

"The results show that around 20 per cent of tenants agree that the rent which they pay represents value for money, with 79 per cent disagreeing."

It goes on to say that under 31 per cent of tenants think that the rent charged is affordable.

However, the consultation only drew 68 responses in total, documents adding that "information, therefore, reflects the views of a very small number of our tenants".

Data which charts the uptake of certain benefits provides a clearer picture.

Just under 3,400 of nearly 5,000 households are claiming hosing cost assistance either via housing benefit or universal credit.

Council papers added: "For those tenants not receiving cost assistance (1,591), the National Living wage and National Minimum wage rates are due to increase from April 2020."

The documents go on to say that there has been "significant" capital investment in improving the condition of the housing stock in recent years and that satisfaction with the repairs service is "high", a tenant consultation from last summer showing 92 per cent were happy.

The local authority's housing revenue account will also cover the £36 per brown bin per year permit charge, after the scheme was approved in the past months.

Around 3,900 households will receive a permit, 300 opted out "largely as a result of having fully hard landscaped gardens" and the cost for the council will be around £140,000.