Decision details

The purpose of this report is to review the Council’s Pest Control Service, to bring it in line with other Hampshire Authorities.  In particular to amend the fees and charges to introduce charging for rodent treatments, but also to ensure that the service is accessible to those in the community on the lowest incomes free of charge.

The Council has operated a Pest Control Service for a number of years and, apart from some very minor changes the Service has remained unchanged.    It is essentially a service which provides free treatments to residents for rats and mice and a chargeable service for insects, although for people on low income the insect service is also currently free of charge. This report considers the options for the service going forward.  These options range from not providing a service at all, to introducing charges for rodent treatments.  Over the last few years most other Authorities in Hampshire have introduced charges for rodent treatments.

RESOLVED that the Executive agrees:

(a)  to introduce charging for rodent treatments but to keep it free of charge for those on the lowest incomes, as detailed in Appendix D of the report;

(b)  to introduce a £30 fee to survey and quote for flea and bed bug treatments as a standard charge doesn’t reflect the work involved for heavy infestations of these insects; and

(c)  to give delegated authority to the Head of Environmental Health to waive any charges in appropriate cases.