Sir, – The results of the October 2008 inspection of Waverley Borough Council by the Audit Commission have now been released and WBC are licking their wounds because they were expecting to achieve a two-star rating of good when in fact the auditors awarded them only a one-star, fair – which is classed second to bottom in the rating system.

I attended the tenant's panel meeting last week at which the Waverley housing director, John Swanton, made a point of highlighting the positive from this report but the negative aspect and shortcomings were largely glossed over.

The Audit Commission made many recommendations to improve WBC service to tenants and to which WBC have agreed and these are to be implemented by set dates throughout the forthcoming year.

As the report is fairly long and complex a suggestion was made by a tenant at the meeting that a special meeting should be arranged in order to debate the report further, especially in light of the fact that the report suggested that tenants participation is of great importance and should be encouraged – this suggestion was not accepted.

A separate question was asked by myself – after a mystery shopping exercise I discovered that the rents in the north for a similar property to my own were up to £20 per week cheaper. I am a pensioner and the state pension is standardised yet I am forced to pay more than £80 per month more than my fellows in the north. WBC has only the answer that the property in the south is worth more – my pension is not!

I have written to two local councillors recently as WBC has this last week been deciding how much more they are to charge for our council rent – the increase thought to be in the region of 5.2 per cent – almost 2.6 per cent of this will automatically go to central government under the current system. I have also made the suggestion that there be a decrease in all rents therefore there would not be a need for central government to take 48 per cent of WBC rents to top up rents in the north. State pension is standardised and therefore pensioners are worse off in the south as they are subsidising the rest of the country – my e-mail to these, our local councillors, has so far been ignored.

I attended the conference in London last November entitled Defending Council Homes – and have had my eyes opened to the strong network of tenants, MPs and councillors who have been working together since 1998 with the goal of removing the stigma of council housing and promoting the view that decent and secure housing at affordable rent should be available to all.

As tenants of Waverley it would be practical to unite our thoughts in order to be heard and so I urge you to contact me at [email protected]">[email protected] or on 0776 633 7131 with your views.

Maureen Hinton, Beacon Hill, Hindhead