Slough Council cabinet members have agreed to increase housing rents in the next financial year.

Members will follow new government new guidelines.

Last year’s average weekly housing rent was £102.57 which will be raised to £105.34 in April 2020, a £2.77 rise.

The extra money will be used to build more affordable homes.

The cap increase will start on April 6 with service charges also set to go up 1.7 percent.

Garage rents, heating, utility and ancillary charges and other properties leased by the council's subsidiary housing company James Elliman Homes will rise by 1.7 percent.

Barry Stratfull, service lead finance, said: “Slough Council has always followed government rent policy.

“Whether it was the rent convergence from a few years ago where it was a much more difficult formula to calculate and in recent years it has been the one percent rent reduction.

“We must keep the increases within the limit to try and keep charges affordable.”

The effect will be implemented for a period of five years if the full council agree on the changes with the council estimating it will receive £32.7 million from this.

A council meeting will take place on Tuesday to confirm cabinet members' proposal.