Council rents to increase in the Vale of Glamorgan

The decision has been heavily criticised.

Plaid Cymru and Conservative councillors all raised concerns about the decision, saying it would hit residents hard in the pocket during a continued cost-of-living crisis.

The decision comes at a time when Vale Council, like local authorities across the country, faces huge financial pressure in the form of a £7m budget gap caused by high inflation and rising demand on its services.

Leader of the Plaid Cymru group at Vale Council, Cllr Ian Johnson, said he understood the arguments for increasing rents for some tenants, but added that he saw it as “morally wrong” to do so.

Speaking in Welsh, Cllr Johnson added: “Tonight, the Labour and Llantwit First cabinet are asking us to increase it by 6.7 per cent, higher than last year’s increase of 5.5 per cent.

“If the Tories asked for this combined increase of 12.2 per cent, you would be furious… and this is in a cost-of-living crisis where wages are not keeping up with inflation.”

Leader of the council, Cllr Lis Burnett noted that council housing rents in the Vale of Glamorgan are markedly lower than those registered landlords that operate within the county.

It was also noted how council housing tenants in the Vale previously voted in favour of housing stock remaining in council hands, whereas stock in some other local authority areas has transferred to housing associations.

However, Cllr Johnson said that if tenants vote to stay with the council, the council “should be looking after them”.

Similarly to when it raised rents last year, the council has reaffirmed its commitment to providing support for tenants who are experiencing financial hardship.

Cllr Burnett said there will be no evictions as a result of financial difficulties on condition that tenants engage with the council.

Leader of the Conservatives group, Cllr George Carroll, called the rise “another inflation-busting increase that residents are being asked to stump up”.

He said: “Let’s ask ourselves why this rise is necessary… it is down to a failure of leadership.

“This Labour council’s failure to manage its housing revenue account efficiently… has resulted in the 6.7 per cent rise.”

Paul Horton pays around £100 to rent his flat off the council and says the council hasn't fixed the damp problem (Image: Newsquest)

We met Emma Magrin in November who rents her house off the council. The bathroom ceiling caved in because of damp issues (Image: Newsquest)

Read more

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• Damp hell as conditions impacting health of boy born with fused skull
• Man questions council tax fees with condition of Barry flat

The council’s cabinet member for public sector housing and tenant engagement, Cllr Sandra Perkes, said the money raised through the rent increase will go towards improving the energy efficiency of homes.

Cllr Perkes said: “If we look at the energy efficiencies that we are implementing, the roofing, the windows, the bathrooms, the kitchens… to make sure that the housing stock that we provide for our tenants is of the highest quality.

“Currently we are on Welsh Housing Quality Standards Level C. We have got in the future Welsh Housing Quality Standards A to implement which is really important.

“What this also does is it spends to save which is not just for the council itself, it is for the tenants.

“They actually will save money on the energy that they use by the high quality of the energy efficiency renewals that we make to the existing properties that we have and that does have to be paid for.”

How will this affect you? Right thing to do to plug the budget black hole, or hitting the hardest in society? Are council rents fair compared to private rents? Let us know by emailing harry.jamshidian@newsquest.co.uk