The Cabinet of Bridgend County Borough Council 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. Rentokil is contracted to provide the service until 31 October 2021.
At a meeting on Tuesday 18 May, Cabinet was presented with a report about the future of the service and was presented with several options including 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.
Cabinet was told that across Wales most local authorities either provide a full chargeable service or do not provide a service at all.
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.
Councillor Dhanisha Patel, Cabinet Member for Wellbeing and Future Generations
Cabinet agreed to go out to tender to see if the market can provide an improved pest control service.
