CONCERNS that Pembrokeshire County Council has “serious rental areas of more than £2m” are to come under the spotlight in a series of questions to senior councillors at County Hall next week.
Merlin’s Bridge councillor John Cole, in a submitted question to be heard at the May 9 meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council, will ask:
“In the budget seminars. It was reported that the council has serious rental arrears that are over £2 million.”
In a three-pronged question to Cabinet Member for Housing Operations & Regulatory Services Cllr Michelle Bateman, he will ask:
“What amount of arrears are attributed to housing benefit not being passed on to the council by tenants?
“What is the highest, lowest and average amount of arrears owed and number of tenants in arrears?
“Would it not be prudent to have a clause in Tenancy agreements that tenants agree that housing benefit rents are made directly to the Council, thereby negating the arrears occurring in the first instance.”
A similar point is to be raised by Conservative group leader Cllr Di Clements with another Cabinet member.
The county councillor for Marletwy will ask two related questions “Can the Cabinet member for Finance [Cllr Alec Cormack] provide me with the current number of properties in council tax arrears and the total figure of such arrears?
“What were the above figures a year ago, and what are the estimated figures a year from now?”
The questions are expected to be answered by the appropriate Cabinet members at the May 9 meeting.
