Fears over loose rubbish fueling rat infestation (From Echo)
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Fears over loose rubbish fueling rat infestation in Southend
12:00pm Tuesday 29th January 2013 in Local News By David Trayner
Fears over loose rubbish fueling rat infestation
FEARS have been raised about rats and stray dogs scavenging through rubbish following plans to cut free bin bags, pest control and the dog warden.
Southend Council wants to scrap free black bin backs and pest control, and outsource its stray dog service, as it struggles to fill a £10million black hole in its budget.
However critics are worried about rodent infestation fuelled by loose litter, especially in poorer areas, and the council may even end up spending more money in clean-up costs than it would save.
Martin Terry, leader of the borough’s independent councillors, said: “This is lose-lose all the way through.
“It will cause a bad problem on the street scene and won’t save any money. It’s a saving to nowhere.
“You could have rats and dogs going through the rubbish and dog mess everywhere.”
The Tory administration has proposed scrapping the black bags delivered to every household in the borough twice a year to save £47,000.
The council’s pest controller would go, saving £37,000, with details of private firms put on its website instead.
It also plans to outsource its stray dog service to a private contractor in a bid to save a further £37,000.
The council claims it is scrapping black bin bags to encourage people to recycle in a bid to cut the rising cost of land fill tax.
Comments are closed on this article.
Comments (41)
12:36pm Tue 29 Jan 13
Rochford Rob says...
????
Why should poorer people litter more than anyone else?
It's either a sweeping generalisation or providing them with cart blanche to do so.
12:49pm Tue 29 Jan 13
Shoebury_Cyclist says...
12:49pm Tue 29 Jan 13
emcee says...
Council people, come closer, I need to say something... closer... a little closer...
GET YOUR OWN HOUSE IN ORDER FIRST. There are hundreds of thousands to be saved on your wage bill alone by removing unnecessary jobs at the top, removing the consultancy system and the resulting exhorbitant fees, removing over-paid temporary management and cutting the salaries of highly paid fat cats at the head of the council and it's departments. And that, I dare say would just be a small fraction of what you could save if you put your mind to it.
It's about time councillors started to work for the people who actually elect them rather than ensuring they, and the fat cats they employ, remain comfortable during what promises to be a violent storm, a storm which is almost upon us.
1:13pm Tue 29 Jan 13
Alfiee says...
1:42pm Tue 29 Jan 13
Shoebury_Cyclist says...
1:52pm Tue 29 Jan 13
Beth the original one says...
1:54pm Tue 29 Jan 13
Beth the original one says...
3:16pm Tue 29 Jan 13
notinwestcliffanymore says...
3:34pm Tue 29 Jan 13
Rebecca12 says...
3:38pm Tue 29 Jan 13
wendyf37 says...
3:40pm Tue 29 Jan 13
reptile says...
4:12pm Tue 29 Jan 13
GrumpyofLeigh says...
Many would agree with her but, maybe, just as many would not (I for one - not having kids and no social service need, taking the my rubbish away and keeping the local area looking good are just about all I get for my £125 a month).
When is the Council's salami slicing going to stop and they actually cease doing things?
We can't afford it.
4:22pm Tue 29 Jan 13
Carnabackable says...
4:28pm Tue 29 Jan 13
Max Impact says...
The free Bio bags will be a bonus, you need to be really very thick NOT to be able to seperate your waste.
Those who don't recycle should be dragged on to the street and named and shamed, force their kids in to the mines and mum and dad of the moment forced to sort the waste!
Tounge and cheek
4:40pm Tue 29 Jan 13
susie5 says...
5:20pm Tue 29 Jan 13
marshman says...
5:24pm Tue 29 Jan 13
Nebs says...
5:30pm Tue 29 Jan 13
Shoebury_Cyclist says...
6:06pm Tue 29 Jan 13
chrissiem says...
6:32pm Tue 29 Jan 13
siddymint says...
She stated it would cause flytipping and cost the council extra money.
Stupid idea.
6:57pm Tue 29 Jan 13
Max Impact says...
Why not take their kids off them, send them down the mines and with the adults use them for medical tests or as crash test dummies in cars or on bikes to see how the human body reacts in a crash, the young doctors could then patch them up as part of their training.
planted tongue cheek firmly
7:55pm Tue 29 Jan 13
asbo. just the truth says...
8:28pm Tue 29 Jan 13
Carnabackable says...
8:31pm Tue 29 Jan 13
silverleaf48 says...
and foxes rippin bags the wheelie bins will pay back in time
8:41pm Tue 29 Jan 13
Max Impact says...
11:37pm Tue 29 Jan 13
Devils Advocate says...
5:51am Wed 30 Jan 13
colsmith says...
Agree with emcee totally......
Lead by example. If you require your employees to work harder bearing in mind the current economic conditions, start by cutting salaries at the top. Removing waste and EARN respect. It does not come without being earned...
7:47am Wed 30 Jan 13
Shoebury_Cyclist says...
7:48am Wed 30 Jan 13
Shoebury_Cyclist says...
9:55am Wed 30 Jan 13
norfolkbroad says...
5:29pm Wed 30 Jan 13
Carnabackable says...
7:56pm Wed 30 Jan 13
whataday says...
9:59pm Wed 30 Jan 13
Devils Advocate says...
10:57pm Wed 30 Jan 13
asbo. just the truth says...
11:00pm Wed 30 Jan 13
asbo. just the truth says...
11:26pm Wed 30 Jan 13
Devils Advocate says...
My Council say: It should be left out before 7:30 am on the day of collection. Should the people on shift pack in their job, go on the dole just to appease rules that are not compatible with hard-working shift workers? As for taking it to the tip the day after. Coming off a night shift, pick up the bags, go to the bus stop. be refused admission onto the bus. Load them on to the motorbike, get stopped by the Police. Just because you have plenty of time off work and your own 4x4 please do not presume everybody does.
8:08am Thu 31 Jan 13
asbo. just the truth says...
5:58pm Thu 31 Jan 13
Devils Advocate says...
4:26pm Fri 1 Feb 13
babybird0404 says...
If someone doesn't have 99p for a meal OR a roll of bin bags they're doing something startlingly wrong. Spending it on fags or dog food instead maybe?
2:59am Sat 2 Feb 13
emcee says...
Anyway, my friend started to help her out, taking round bread, milk, butter, sugar, teabags, just the general stuff. She always offered to pay but he never took the money.
When she died he was told he was mentioned in the will and was to have the contents of her bank account.
He recieved a grand total of just over £2. He used it to buy some daffodils and put them on her grave.
People really do count every penny, even in this day and age.
5:16pm Sat 2 Feb 13
RickSuddes says...