Darlington council introduces levy on driveways

Darlington Borough Council is due to increase the rents of 237 homes with off-street parking.

The properties were not originally charged when the pavement crossings were installed, but the council’s cabinet has now approved a decision to increase tenants rents by £3.96 per week from April.

Commenting on the move, a spokesperson from the council said: “All council tenants are receiving a one per cent annual reduction in their rents for the next four years. The council loses money as a result of this government scheme, so we need to maximise income where we can in order to provide the standard of accommodation our tenants deserve.

“In most cases, the increase in rent will be met from housing benefit payments, so a majority of tenants will not notice a difference.”