Cabinet - Council rent increases and an Olympic legacy fund created

Plans to increase rents, service charges and heating charges during the next financial year have been approved.

However, garage and parking charges will remain the same.

The average rent increase will be 3.56 per cent for council tenants taking the average weekly rent from �95.19 to �98.58.

The average service charge will increase from �4.72 to �4.98 each week.

Garage charges will remain the same at either �10 or �15 depending on location.

Heating and hot water charges will increase of an average 6 per cent to �12.31 a week. However heating charges for the Orchard Estate, Broadmead road, Woodford Green will be unchanged until an energy review is conducted.

Also approved during the cabinet meeting was a fund to pay for initiatives which will build on the values of the Olympics and Paralympics.

The Legacy Fund has been given �300,000 raised from the Snoozebox temporary hotel which was based in Hainault Forest Country Park, Fox Burrow Road, Hainault.

The fund will be used to encourage sustainability; community and volunteering; culture and heritage; and sport, physical activity and health.

Money will be available to Redbridge-based not for profit organisations which has a project promoting these themes.

The maximum grant for any one project is �15,000 and each organisation can only receive the grant once.

The application process should be open next month.