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Burstow hails rent u-turn a victory for common sense
March 6, 2009 4:56 PM
Sutton and Cheam MP, Paul Burstow, has hailed as a victory an announcement by Housing Minister Margaret Beckett that she is halving the planned average 6.2% Council rent increase to 3.1%.
The annoucement comes in the wake of mounting pressure on the Government from MPs, tenants and Councils.
Mrs Beckett announced today (6th March) that the Government would make funding available to support local authorities to make the changes, and revise their rents for 2009/10 accordingly.
The changes to the guideline rent increase means tenants should see a marked drop in their proposed average rent increase for the coming year from around £4 per week to approximately just under £2.
Paul Burstow MP who called a parliamentary debate two weeks ago (26th Feb) to press the Government to cut rents and end the system which means that Sutton tenants pay 38p in every £1 of their rent to the Treasury hailed the news as a victory. He will be leading a local delegation to see Housing Minister Iain Wright on 25th March to drive home the case for reform.
Mr Burstow said:
"At last Ministers have realised that people are facing challenging economic times. This rent cut is a victory for common sense.
"I've been telling Ministers for the last two years just how unfair their rent system was. Tenants deserve rents that are fair and affordable.
"The news today is not the end of the campaign. It simply confirms how much control the Government has over the level of rents in Sutton and why change is long overdue."
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