'I fear rent will rise £60 a week after shake-up'

THE leader of Broxtowe Borough Council says he’s concerned that social rent in his borough could rise by £60 a week because of plans to reorganise local authorities.

- By LAUREN MONAGHAN

The council owns its own social housing stock, with around 4,300 properties and an average weekly rent of £92 a week - which council leader Milan Radulovic (Brox Alliance) calls the “lowest in the East Midlands".

Councillor Radulovic said that the total market value of all the properties was around £750 million - making the stock a valuable asset in the borough.

But the Government's plans to redraw and merge council boundaries poses questions about what will happen to council homes.

In December the Government announced plans to reorganise areas made up of two-tier local authorities - including Nottingham-shire - with responsibilities split between county and district councils.

The English Devolution White Paper will redraw existing boundaries and create larger, single-tier unitary authorities by 2027/28.