Council house waiting list rises by 65%

Midlothian's council house waiting list has risen by 65 per cent in the last four years.

The number of people waiting for a council house in January of this year was 4073 - compared to 2465 in March 2006.

The council has already built 470 new homes, with a further 389 to be built by May 2012, and this has helped increase total available lets from 200 in 2006/07 to almost 600 in 2009/10.

But with the large number of people currently waiting for a home, the council is seeking to increase the number of homes and is asking for tenants' and applicants' opinions on the waiting list.

A recent consultation found most tenants who responded wanted rents kept low, while applicants wanted increased rents to fund new building.

Labour council leader Derek Milligan said: "It is worrying that we now have more than 4000 people on our lists. The only way we have to build new houses is to raise rents."