Update Paper - Actions Taken Relevant to Rodent Complaints
North Lanarkshire Council · 24 August 2022
Back to Environment and Place Committee — 24 August 2022 and its agenda
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North Lanarkshire Council Report Environment and Place Committee Does this report require to be approved? ☒ Yes ☐ No Ref: AM/PB Date 24/08/22 Update Paper - Actions Taken Relevant to Rodent Complaints From Andrew McPherson, Head of Regulatory Services & Waste Solutions E-mail mcphersona@northlan.gov.uk Telephone 07939 280467 Executive Summary Following a motion to full Council of 13/08/2020, it was agreed to record and analyse all reports of rat sightings made to the Council and report the data to the relevant Council committee at regular intervals to help measure the scale and impact of the issue and inform the Council’s approach moving forward. At the full Council budget meeting of 02/03/2021, when the revenue budget was set for the 2021-2022 financial year, an extra £150,000 was awarded to Protective Services to treat defined priority areas experiencing high levels of rat infestation, to address local concerns. As part of the Recover NL funding provided to Services over financial year 2022/23, it was agreed that there would be a continuation of a free rodent control service delivered by the Council’s Protective Services division. This report provides an update on the steps that continue to be taken in respect of the action plan which has been devised in order to direct our resources to the areas of most significant concern, co-ordinating our response to the best effect and delivering improvement works. Recommendations It is recommended that Committee: • Support the actions that have and will continue to be undertaken to address identified problem areas. The Plan for North Lanarkshire Priority Improve the health and wellbeing of our communities Ambition statement (14) Ensure the highest standards of public protection
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1. Background 1.1 The full Council meeting held on 13/08/2020 agreed a motion to: “Record and analyse all reports of vermin sightings made to the Council and report the data to the relevant Council committee at regular intervals to help measure the scale and impact of the issue and inform the Council’s approach moving forward”. 1.2 The full Council budget meeting held on 02/03/2021 agreed to provide one off annual funding of £150,000 to: “Treat defined [Pest Control] priority areas over the summer period to address local concerns.” 2. Report 2.1 On 10/02/2021, a paper was submitted to the Environment & Transportation Committee on ‘Analysis and Actions Taken Relevant to Rodent Complaints’. That paper noted data on the historical prevalence of rats within North Lanarkshire, tabulating information on rat complaints logged and dealt with by the Service. 2.2 An update position on rat complaints logged and dealt with by the Service is detailed in Table 1 below: Table 1 Financial year Enquiry Response Within 2 Days Rat Sightings but no Treatment** Treatment - Private Property. Treatment – Council Property Total 2020 - 2021 786 1,169 1,955 98% 131 2021 - 2022 2,230 1,007 3,237 96.2% 223 2022 – 2023 to date * 824 354 1,178 77.9% * 27 * Latest data compiled on 27/06/2022 (further data input on first response date is pending; performance figures will increase as this data input is completed) **Where rats are sighted but no treatment is possible. 2.3 As previously reported, throughout the pandemic several factors have combined to contribute to an increase in the number of rat sightings and complaints within the Council area. As a further interim measure to assist in addressing the increase in rat numbers, a temporary suspension of pest control charging for rats and mice was agreed at full Council on 17/06/2021. Following allocation of funding towards the Recover NL programme for financial year 2022/23, this suspension of charging will now remain effective until 31/03/2023. 2.4 With the assistance of Council colleagues in the GIS team, we continue to record monthly data in respect of rat complaints and then plot this on a geographical basis. Analysis of this information allows the Service to prioritise proactive baiting to address
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concerns in any part of the Council area. The analysis of this heat map data affords the pest control service the capacity to identify areas where the scale of the problem is greatest. 2.5 In conjunction with colleagues from Corporate Communications, the service delivered an online advertising ‘Rat Prevention’ campaign. At the conclusion of the campaign, the website analytics were compiled and it was noted that the campaign had attracted a very large number of new users to the website, and was in fact the highest percentage of new users at that time, achieving a figure of 61.04% of all new users. 2.6 The Service also produced a successful outdoor digital advertising and bus advertising element to the campaign. An example of the advertisement is included as an appendix to this report. The advertisement included a QR code which members of the public could scan on their mobile devices in order to access this website information page: https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/pests-and-pollution/how-prevent-rats 2.7 In February 2022, issue number 33 of the Council’s Tenants’ newsletter was utilised to increase the reach of the campaign. This publication included an article providing ‘Advice for households on preventing vermin’: https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2022- 02/Tenant%20Newsletter%20Issue%2033%20Accessible%20Final.pdf 2.8 With the assistance of colleagues in the Housing service, the Service organised work to clean up identified gardens and the wider public space across the Jerviston area. This work took place over 20th and 21st May 2022 and involved 44 skip loads of waste and refuse being removed. The work in this area proved very successful and was fully supported by the local community. 2.9 Similar to this initiative, colleagues in Housing have also assisted with organising a similar clean up campaign across the Craigneuk area on the 29th and 30th June 2022. A ‘one off’ bin amnesty was also delivered by the Council’s waste service to allow contaminated bins to be emptied and brought back into service. 2.10 A further clean of fly-tipping and refuse accumulations in the Forgewood area was undertaken at the end of June 2022, in order to take a further opportunity to remove as much waste and fly-tipped materials as possible to coincide with the installation of new bins and bin infrastructure. This should help to address long standing issues with the bin architecture which presented an unacceptable risk of harbourage for vermin. 2.11 Similarly, a clean-up of fly-tipping in Holytown, which presented an unacceptable risk of harbourage for vermin, has been completed. Digital advertising was also used to promote the free service for rats and mice which has resulted in an increased use of the service. 2.12 Newmains, Crindledyke and West Crindledyke areas have now been fully inspected. Work to clean up identified gardens in relation to waste accumulations, and to cut back vegetation in identified public spaces, will now be coordinated over the coming few months. Further areas that have still to be assessed include Kirkwood and Kirkshaws, Moodiesburn, and Carfin / Newarthill and these will be completed by the end of the calendar year. 2.13 Overall, it is noted that the promotion of the free pest control service in respect of rats and mice, via the digital advertising platforms, has resulted in an increased uptake of
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the service in general, which means that rat infestations are being professionally tackled and successfully eradicated. 2.14 A further report on this issue will be submitted to Committee during the first cycle of the new year. 3. Measures of success 3.1 A gradual reduction in rat numbers throughout the Council area leading to an overall improvement in the environment of local communities. 4. Supporting documentation 4.1 Appendix 1 - Copy of the advertising which was displayed on buses and outdoor digital advertising spaces. Andrew McPherson Head of Regulatory Services & Waste Solutions
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5. Impacts ( http://connect/report-template-guidance ) 5.1 Public Sector Equality Duty and Fairer Scotland Duty Does the report contain information that has an impact as a result of the Public Sector Equality Duty and/or Fairer Scotland Duty? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? The current suspension of charging for rats and mice has removed any financial barrier that some low-income households may have to securing effective and professional pest control treatment. If Yes, has an assessment been carried out and published on the council’s website? https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/your-community/equalities/equality-and-fairer- scotland-duty-impact-assessments Yes ☐ No ☒ 5.2 Financial impact Does the report contain any financial impacts? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, have all relevant financial impacts have been discussed and agreed with Financial Solutions? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Additional costs and reduced income associated with the suspension of pest control charging and associated clean ups will be managed through the use of the temporary Recover NL funding. 5.3 HR policy impact Does the report contain any HR policy or procedure impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant HR impacts have been discussed and agreed with People and Organisational Development? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.4 Legal impact Does the report contain any legal impacts (such as general legal matters, statutory considerations (including employment law considerations), or new legislation)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant legal impacts have been discussed and agreed with Legal and Democratic Solutions? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.5 Data protection impact Does the report / project / practice contain or involve the processing of personal data? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, is the processing of this personal data likely to result in a high risk to the data subject? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, has a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) been carried out and e- mailed to dataprotection@northlan.gov.uk Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.6 Technology / Digital impact
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Does the report contain information that has an impact on either technology, digital transformation, service redesign / business change processes, data management, or connectivity / broadband / Wi-Fi? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Where the impact identifies a requirement for technology, has an assessment been carried out (or scheduled) by the Enterprise Architecture Governance Group (EAGG)? Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.7 Environmental / Carbon impact Does the report / project / practice contain information that has an impact on any environmental or carbon matters? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? The identification of hotspot areas, and their improvement through effective treatments for rat infestations, will have a positive impact on the local environment and its use by local communities. 5.8 Communications impact Does the report contain any information that has an impact on the council’s communications activities? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.9 Risk impact Is there a risk impact? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the key risks and potential impacts, highlighting where the risk(s) are assessed and recorded (e.g. Corporate or Service or Project Risk Registers), and how they are managed?
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Appendix 1