COUNCIL house rents in Pendle will rise by an average of 72p a week from April.

The two per cent increase will raise £154,000 to help deal with a £269,000 deficit in Pendle Council's housing revenue account.

A three per cent rise in council garage rents will raise an extra £2,000.

The rent rise will mean the weekly charge for a one-bedroom flat in Clayton Street, Nelson, would go from £21.61 to £22.04.

A two-bedroom house in Avon Drive, Barnoldswick, is increased from £41.94 to £42.78 and a three-bedroom house in Oxford Road, Nelson, from £54.65 to £55.74.

The council's services committee, which has agreed the increase, was told that a 3.5 per cent rent rise would have covered the revenue account deficit but the government would not allow it under rent-capping rules.

Council chief executive Stephen Barnes said: "This modest rent rise is good news for tenants but it does restrict investment.

"We will have to make reductions in house repairs to balance the account."

Coun David Clegg added: "This is the third or fourth year we have had to impose a rent increase smaller than inflation because the government has restricted the amount we needed to impose."

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