Bridgend Council’s Cabinet has agreed to retain a free pest control service for residents.
The local authority currently offers a free domestic service for rats, mice, bedbugs and cockroaches and only charges for the treatment of fleas and wasps.
A pest control company is contracted to provide the service until 31 October 2021.
At a meeting on Tuesday 18 May, the council’s Cabinet was presented with a report about the future of the service and were presented with several options.
These included discontinuing the service, re-tendering the contract and introducing a charge for residents, re-tendering the contract and keeping a free service, or bringing the service in-house.
The Cabinet were told that most local authorities across Wales either provide a fully chargeable service or do not provide a service at all.
Commenting, Bridgend Council’s Cabinet Member for Wellbeing and Future Generations, Councillor Dhanisha Patel said:
“We believe there should be a free pest control service for residents, it’s a very popular service and call-outs have increased during the pandemic.
“Not providing a service for residents is not an option. If a rat enters someone’s home, it does not mean it is their problem. If we start charging, it could discourage people from reporting them.”
The authority’s Cabinet agreed to go out to tender to see if the market can provide an improved pest control service.
Bridgend Council’s Shared Regulatory Services will continue to respond to pest control issues where individuals’ activities may impact on others’ public health.
This service will not be affected, as it is separate to the domestic pest control contract provided by the council.
