West Lothian’s 14,000 council tenants will see their rents rise to an average of £78.13 a week as a meeting of the full council voted for a three per cent rent rise.
The meeting heard that almost half of those affected by the increase are either in receipt of Universal Credit or other benefits.
It was the first time a budget had been agreed outwith the council chamber, in a virtual meeting. The introduction of motion and amendments, with required meeting breaks to study details stalled the natural flow of events but not the often heated exchanges between the SNP and the minority Labour administration.
The SNP group which demanded a rent freeze and slated the fact that budgets are still being planned on agreements first drawn up in 2018. Nothing has been done to take account of the changed circumstances caused by Covid- it was claimed, during often blunt exchanges across the virtual meeting.
Councillor Janet Campbell, SNP group leader said: “We are in the midst of the biggest crisis any of us have seen. Our constituents expect politicians to show political leadership.”
She said many were facing greater demands with rising food and heating bills loss of work or the chance to earn more working overtime. The council had the opportunity, she said, to help people by freezing the rents.
“If we really do care about people we should be helping them out of poverty.”
SNP depute group leader, Councillor Frank Anderson, criticised reliance on agreements first drawn up at the start of a five year rents agreement and the failure to ask tenants if they would support a rent reduction or freeze in consultation late last year.
“Why should we pile financial stress and worry onto our tenants?” he asked the special meeting of the council.
Council rents in West Lothian were below the Scottish average this financial year and one of the lowest across Scotland. They are also lower than those demanded by Registered Social Landlords’ properties in the county.
Councillor Lawrence Fitzpatrick, Labour Group leader and leader of the council said: “It’s a basic fact that despite the pandemic the Scottish government has never offered one penny of assistance to local authorities’ Housing Revenue Accounts. It’s also a fact that they have failed to protect local government finances.”
Independent Councillor Stuart Borrowman asked, when setting a rent increase of three per cent at time when inflation was 0.8 per cent, what assessment had been made of tenants not in receipt of benefits and their ability to meet the increases.
Graeme Struthers, depute chief executive responsible for housing, who poresentedn the budget papers and spending plans, said compared with other local authorities the figure was deemed to be a fair social rent at around 25 per cent of average local wage.
Conservative Alison Adamson praised the work of council staff in working with tenants in a “positive and pragmatic approach” which had ensured a rent collection rate last year of 98 per cent.
Depute Labour group leader Kirsteen Sullivan told the meeting she was disappointed at the tone of comments made during the debate citing personal criticism made of councillors.
Executive councillor George Paul who presented the motion both for the rent rise and the outline spending plans branded SNP comments and spending proposals as “irresponsible”.
