Council adopts Lib Dem plan to axe rat infestation charges for good
Lib Dem councillors in Sunderland are celebrating victory after the Council decided to adopt their plan for free pest control for all city residents in a bid to help those being plagued by rats in their homes and gardens.
Lib Dems on Wearside have welcomed a decision to permanently scrap the £50 call-out fee for Sunderland Council to come and deal with rats, mice and other pests in people's homes.
The decision to extend free pest-control services for the rest of the financial year was agreed today (14th July) at the Council's cabinet meeting. Council chiefs also announced that they intend make the service free permanently starting from next year's Council Budget.
The £50 charge had due to be re-instated in October of this year, after being temporarily removed last year.
The decision comes after opposition Liberal Democrat councillors had called a vote on the issue to be held at the next meeting of all 75 city councillors in September.
Lib Dem representatives argued that the cost of living emergency meant that now was not the right time to bring back a £50 charge which would have made dealing with the problem unaffordable for many people, worsening the rats epidemic in parts of the city.
Commenting, Pallion and Ford Estate councillor Martin Haswell said:
"Just a few years ago those running the Council claimed that there 'was no rat problem' in Sunderland. Now they have seen sense and adopted our plan for free pest control services before we forced a vote on the issue in a few weeks' time.
"This is great news for local people who have struggled to pay the £50 call out fee each and every time they needed help to deal with rats, mice or other pests in their homes or gardens through no fault of their own. This should make a real difference to tackling to problem of vermin plaguing people's homes across the city.
"I hope that Sunderland Council's Labour bosses will now come up with a proper action plan to tackle rat infestations in our parks and green spaces as the next step in dealing with the rat problem in this city."