PEMBROKESHIRE council rent increase of 10 per cent for some tenants has been passed by full council but thanks to a push back from a Milford Haven councillor an additional fixed increase was not included.

Cllr Mike Stoddart put forward an amendment to full council on Thursday (March 3) that an option that used a sliding scale of percentage increases be put in place rather than a blanket 2.95 per cent on top, which he said would lead to a £9 a week increase for some families.

“I have made this argument several times,” said Cllr Stoddart. “The problem with fixed percentage on all the rents the gap between the highest and lowest rent gets larger and larger, year after year.”

Pembrokeshire County Council is aiming to see rents set at the level Welsh Government has specified as target rent and one option considered by a Housing Revenue Account (HRA) working group was to move rents straight to that level – a £41 increase.

Cllr Stoddart said he protested against this and was glad to see proposals had been “softened” and although “clunky” option c – an increase of 0.6 per cent for those at standard rent, with a sliding scale of increased rents for those below standard rent – was more acceptable.

“It does have the effect of raising the lowest rent faster than those above them,” he added, leading to equalization in rents.

His amendment was passed 23 votes to 18.

Cabinet member for housing Cllr Michelle Bateman said that proposal would have a “significant cumulative impact” on the Housing Revenue Account and the housing service.

Full council also approved the HRA recommendations that Pembrokeshire Standard Rents be increased by 10 per cent for those where the rent is more than £26 per week below standard.

The higher standard rent, which aligns with Welsh Government targets, will be charged for new builds, acquisitions of general needs houses and void properties where energy efficiency improvement measures have been made.

Garage rents will also be increases by 3.1 per cent.