COUNCIL house tenants living in the more "desirable" Teesdale villages look set to pay more for exactly the same properties, thanks to Government changes.

The change came as members of the district council's social and environmental committee agreed an average rent rise of 3.92pc, or £1.70 a week, for the coming year.

Peter Slack, the council's head of housing and the community, said differing rates for the same-style properties would occur as a result of changes to the way rents must be calculated.

Teesdale Council currently sets rents on a points system, whereby each property receives points depending on its attributes. Those in rural villages, but with few amenities, paid a lower rent.

"But the Government's new rent restructuring has turned this completely around, so that those renting property in a desirable village will pay more," said Mr Slack.

He told how the aim of restructuring was to bring council house and social housing rents into line with each other over the next eight years. This would mean that two tenants living in similar properties in a similar area should be paying a similar rent, regardless of who their landlord was.

"Homes in villages like Evenwood, Cockfield and Etherley will be lower rents than those say in Romaldkirk, because they would be worth less if sold at market value," said Mr Slack.

Coun George Richardson felt the new system would be fairer. A former council house at Hamsterley was currently on the market for just under £200,000.

Mr Slack said one property in the dale faced an increase of 9.04pc this year, a rise of £3 a week, under the new legislation, because of its location. But under a capping process this would still mean that particular property, at £38, was well below the target rent of at least £50 and would have to rise more quickly than others over the eight year period.

"Could you call this another stealth tax?" asked Coun Pauline Charlton.

Mr Slack replied that there would be winners and losers. "There are some high rents in Teesdale, with people having to be benefit-dependent to afford them," he said. "But council and social housing rents will have to be similar by 2012."

Coun John Salter felt they had a duty to keep rent rises as low as possible, bearing in mind the increase in council tax.