by £1.71 COUNCIL house rents are set to rise by an average of £1.71 a week from April.

The 3.8 pc increase has been confirmed by this week by Wigan Council bringing the average weekly rent of a council home in the borough to £46.24.

Housing chiefs stressed that the rise is in line with Government guidance and keeps Wigan's rents among the lowest in the country.

The rise means that the council's major improvement programmes will continue, with a substantial investment of more than £3.5 million being made in environmental and security schemes on many estates.

And the next 12 months should see the first release of extra Government money to Wigan Council under its plans to set up an Arms Length Management Organisation (ALMO) to run its housing service.

In the coming year alone this could add up to £10 million more to the housing budget -- without affecting rents.

Cllr Steve Parker, the council's cabinet member of housing, said: "I'm pleased that the Government has imposed a lower rent increase than in previous years. Renting a home from Wigan gives excellent value for money.

"This increase will allow us to continue replacing old windows, heating and wiring as well as making our estates more attractive places to live."