Pest control costs soar (From York Press)

Pest control costs soar in York

9:05am Thursday 9th February 2012 in News By Mike Laycock, Chief reporter

THE cost of calling in pest controllers to tackle rat problems in York homes is set to soar by 283 per cent.

City of York Council is proposing to put up the fee for a pest controller to deal with rats in domestic properties from £15 to £57 as part of its drive to cut costs and raise revenue.

But Independent councillor Mark Warters has branded the proposal “absolutely appalling”, claiming it will put people off calling the pest control service and lead to a huge increase in rat problems across the city.

Coun Warters claimed there would be a particular upsurge in vermin in wards such as his own, Osbaldwick, which was criss-crossed by watercourses and dykes.

Coun Warters said pest control had originally been a free service, but the former Liberal Democrat administration had then introduced a nominal charge which many people would have been willing to pay. But he believed the new cost would prove a real deterrent to many householders.

Labour Cabinet Member for Communities and Neighbourhoods, Coun. Dafydd Williams said: “A review of the pest control service highlighted the service is running at a loss, as well as having an imbalance in the rates charged for dealing with rats and other pests. For rats, the charge is significantly lower than most councils. So what we are doing is equalising the charge for this service with those for all other pest control services, such as bedbugs, mice and cockroaches.

“The second reason is that record funding cuts from Government means the service can no longer be subsidised from the council’s central budget. The legal responsibility for keeping a property free of mice and rats sits with property owners; a council’s duty is only to ensure property owners fulfil that legal responsibility.

“Many other councils are stopping the operation of what is a non-statutory service, but we have chosen not to go down that route.

“These changes will ensure the service breaks even for the first time ever.”