Campaigners say a new rat control service being provided to Falkirk Council tenants should be made more widely available.
Falkirk Council announced this week that its 16,000 tenants can call on the free service to get rid of rats where necessary.
However, the funding for the new service is coming from the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) - which is mainly funded by rents rather than council tax. The HRA is ring-fenced by statute and strictly monitored so any spending has to be for the benefit of tenants only.
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The council says the pilot scheme recognises its responsibilities as a landlord and the contract, with Contego Environmental Services Ltd, will be reviewed after a year and tenants will be consulted to see how effective it has been.
Sharron McKean, co-founder of Falkirk District Action Group (FDAG), which has campaigned for the return of a pest control service, says that while the new service is welcome, it doesn't go far enough.
She says she has been getting lots of calls from Falkirk district residents dealing with rats and providing the service for tenants alone won't be enough.
The council has been under pressure to reinstate its chargeable pest control service, which was scrapped as part of cost-cutting measures in 2022.
Councillors voted to remove the service, saying it was "expensive to operate, and it duplicated the good quality and often cheaper services provided by private companies to residents".
Members of FDAG held a public meeting to raise the issue and many of those attending were council tenants who said the fees charged by private contractors were impossible for people on low incomes to pay.
Sharron said: "It is very welcome that they are providing this service to tenants but we know that it is a problem affecting many people.
"Many people don't know where to turn and the council should have some sort of pest control service for everyone."
Councillor Gary Bouse, housing portfolio holder, said: “This new service is seen as a positive initiative by the Housing Service as landlord, and I am sure that its introduction will be welcomed by our tenants.
“The new service will be reviewed after 12 months as part of the 2024/25 rent review, and we will be speaking to tenants to get their views on the success of the scheme."
When the pilot was agreed in June, the council said that the increase in rat infestations could be attributed, in part, to the COVID-19 pandemic, when many food businesses closed, causing rats to shift to more residential areas.
The council now says that using bins correctly is vital to keep vermin away in the first place.
“We’d ask our tenants for their ongoing support in recycling correctly and full advice is available from www.falkirk.gov.uk/recycling.”
