SNP councillors say North Lanarkshire has a rat problem and more action needs to be taken to address it.
A poll of the party’s councillors serving on the local authority found most wards had suffered from rat infestations in the past year with the party confirming it will put forward a motion at the next council meeting in August to record and analyse all reports of vermin sightings made to North Lanarkshire Council.
The group’s environmental spokesman, Councillor William Goldie, said: “The recent hot weather and an increase of fly-tipping has provided an ideal environment for an ever-increasing population of rats across the authority. The increased temperature increases their activity and can accelerate their breeding cycle.
“It has now become apparent that is a major environmental issue rather than one that only affects individual households.”
Murdostoun councillor Cameron McManus told the Wishaw Press he had been pressed by residents in Cleland, Cambusnethan and Newmains regarding problems with the vermin.
He added: “The introduction of uplift charges, the cuts in pest control, three weekly bin collections and scrapping of the free uplifts a year means adding even more pressure on households to deal with their waste, leading to build-ups and overflowing bins.
“Inevitably, this increases the risk of infestations in some of the most deprived areas in both North Lanarkshire and Scotland, who simply can’t afford to pay particularly under the current climate.
“The council’s lack of pest control and infrastructure to report sightings is a huge issue on combatting this matter, the Labour administration are continuing to fail the people of north Lanarkshire.”
However, the council’s convener of environment and transportation, Michael McPake, denied the SNP claims.
He said: “North Lanarkshire Council does not have a rat infestation and to imply so is extremely misleading. When any resident contacts the council about the rare sightings of rats, the council takes appropriate action.
“North Lanarkshire is one of the few places in Scotland to have maintained a full bin collection service since the Covid-19 pandemic – something many of the SNP’s colleagues who lead other councils have failed to do.
“It’s disappointing that at a time when council staff and services have been fully focused on fighting the coronavirus pandemic and protecting local residents, the SNP are more focused on petty political point scoring.”
