WAVERLEY Borough Council has welcomed the government’s announcement that it will not be going forward with its controversial ‘Pay to Stay’ scheme.

The government had proposed, in the Housing and Planning Act, that council tenants in households where the combined household income was more than £31,000 per year would have to pay up to full market rents.

The additional income would have been paid directly to the government rather than being invested back in local council housing services.

It will not be compulsory for councils to increase rents as household income rises, although local authorities can take into account earnings when carrying out annual tenancy reviews.

Carole King, Waverley’s executive member for housing, said: “This is very positive news from the government. Apart from the additional bureaucracy and costs that pay to stay would have caused, it would have been a worry for many tenants who are on or near the threshold level and working hard to make ends meet.

“Waverley, in partnership with a number of other housing authorities, has been lobbying government on the proposal and is very pleased with the outcome.

“In the same announcement the government also indicated that it will put £8 billion into affordable housing. Council officers will be following this closely to see what the implications are for Waverley.”