Giant Rats a Real-life Horror Story

The Leader of the Opposition and of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, is calling for action to combat giant rats in Oldham Borough.

Councillor Sykes is proposing a motion on this issue to Wednesday’s full Council (13/07/16) and he explained why:

“The image of giant rats in our Borough may sound like a vision of horror from a James Herbert novel but the industry’s professional body, the British Pest Control Association, has recently issued a report identifying rats of increased size and with an increasing resistance to conventional poisons as a real problem in urban Britain.”

Commenting Councillor Sykes said: “In our motion we recognise that sometimes residents can inadvertently make the situation worse by resorting to ineffective off-the-shelf poisons.”

“This means that the rat problem is often not eliminated and repeatedly exposure to these poisons enables rats to become more resistant to them.”

Councillor Sykes is proposing that Oldham Council promotes the services of its professional pest controllers to residents, and the Chief Executive is asked to write to local MPs asking them to call for Government action in Parliament.

He explained: “Only a pest-control specialist has access to the most toxic poisons with the proven ability to eliminate even the most-troublesome and largest rodents.”

“Whilst calling the rat-catcher costs money it does provide a guarantee that the treatment will be effective and can be carried out without harm to family members and pets.”

Concluding Councillor Sykes said: “We have to recognise that Oldham Council and its residents can only do so much.  This is a national problem and our national Government needs to take action.”

The motion to Council reads:

Council 13th July 2016 – Notice of Opposition Business –

Combatting Super Rats

This Council notes that:

The British Pest Control Association (the BPCA) has said that rats are becoming immune to traditional pellets used by homeowners and that the poisons which can be purchased in supermarkets may actually be turning the rodents into ‘super rats’.

The Chief Executive of BPCA has said, “The rodents have become resistant and, in some cases, immune to off- the-shelf poisons to the point where they’re actually feeding off the toxic pellets, which means their size and strength is increasing.”

Genetic testing by Huddersfield University has revealed that the rodents have developed a mutation that allows them to survive conventional poisons.  In counties such as Hampshire, Berkshire, Surrey, Wiltshire, a Suffolk, and Kent, all the rats tested were found to have immunity to poison.

Rodents are difficult to kill with poisons because their feeding habits reflect their place as scavengers. Rats will eat a small amount of food and wait, and if they don’t get sick, they then continue to eat.

Council further notes that.

Stronger rodenticides can be more effective, but most are subject to strict legislation and must only be used by professional pest controllers.

The BPCA is now predicting that rats are likely to seek to enter homes for warmth and food during the winter months

Rats can squeeze themselves through gaps as small as three-quarters of an inch and are often found living under floorboards, in the walls or in the loft.

In 2015, rats measuring 50-60 cm (2ft) have been captured in places as far apart as Cornwall, Kent and Liverpool.

Rats can carry illnesses which can be passed to humans, including Weil’s disease, which has flu-like symptoms initially but can lead to jaundice and kidney failure.

Rats chew on wood and electrical wires causing significant property damage and posing a fire hazard.

Council believes:

That rats are a danger to the health and wellbeing of residents

That the problem of an increasing rat population, which is immune to many standard poisons, must be addressed

Inexpert use of poison can make the problem worse

Council resolves to:

Ask the relevant Cabinet Member(s) to request officers publicise the risk posed by poison resistant rats and offer advice as to how residents can ‘rat proof’ their homes, by for example fitting strips to the bottoms of doors, filling small gaps in exterior walls, repairing roof damage and covering drains to prevent entry via pipes.

Ask the Chief Executive to write to our three local Members of Parliament asking them to lobby the Government for national action on the problem of super rats.

Pingot Stream Widening / Bridleway Repair Project in Pingot Quarry

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The widening of the stream in Pingot Quarry will start week commencing the 11th of July 2016.

During this time please be aware of work in progress, and keep dogs under close control when in the quarry area.

Volunteers needed to restore and plant the banks of the stream, once the widening is complete.  Please see contact details below for anyone interested in helping.

For further information, please contact: Marian Herod, Secretary – Friends of Crompton Moor.  Mobile: 07792 156295 www.cromptonmoor.co.uk

Shaw and Crompton consultation meeting for FCHO tenants re service charges

first-choice-homesTenants will have received a letter inviting them to a consultation meeting about proposed service charges.

Your local Liberal Democrat Councillors made representations that there was no meeting in Shaw/Crompton.

We are now pleased to report, following our intervention, that a Shaw service charge consultation will be held on 3rd August 2.00 – 5.00pm at the Shaw Children’s Centre, High Street, Shaw.

Hopefully you should be getting written confirmation of this directly.

See frequent questions about this matter: FAQs for Customers – amended version 24.06.16

Historic England have decided that the Jubilee Pub will not be listed

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27 June 2016

Mrs Karen Heverin, Conservation Officer, Oldham Council

Dear Karen Heverin,

PLANNING (LISTED BUILDINGS AND CONSERVATION AREAS) ACT 1990 BUILDINGS OF SPECIAL ARCHITECTURAL OR HISTORIC INTEREST

Jubilee Inn, Milnrow Road, Shaw, Oldham

As you will know from our earlier letters we have been considering adding the above building to the List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest.

We have taken into account all the representations made and completed our assessment of the building. Having considered our recommendation, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has decided not to add The Jubilee Inn, Milnrow Road, Shaw, Oldham to the List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest.

Please follow the link below to download a copy of our advice report, prepared for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, which gives the principal reasons for this decision. The annex of this report will be published on our Heritage Gateway website in order to provide clarity about the building’s designation status. The website makes it clear that the buildings and sites included on the Heritage Gateway are mostly privately owned and are not open to the public.

http://services.historicengland.org.uk/webfiles/GetFiles.aspx?av=E0D9988F-C893-4A88-A381-CB94C0623F2B&cn=2A00B160-CA3E-450B-BCC7-076AA200F6FD

If you consider that this decision has been wrongly made you may contact the DCMS within 28 days of the date of this letter to request that the Secretary of State review the decision. An example of a decision made wrongly would be where there was a factual error or an irregularity in the process which affected the outcome. You may also ask the Secretary of State to review the decision if you have any significant evidence relating to the special architectural or historic interest of the building which was not previously considered. Further details of the review criteria and process and how to request a review are contained in the annex to this letter.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of any further assistance. More information can also be found on our website at www.historicengland.org.uk.

Yours sincerely

Cara Organ

Listing Coordinator, Listing Team North, Historic England, 37 Tanner Row, York YO1 6WP

Direct Line: 01904 601951.  EMail: cara.organ@HistoricEngland.org.uk

Oldham Liberal Democrats voice concerns over changes to waste collection to three weeks

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We believe that the devil will be in the detail with these proposals.

I am sure that we are not the only ones thinking that this is going to affect service across the whole Borough.

Already in Shaw and Crompton, because our collection day is a Friday, we are more often than not getting missed roads because there just is not enough time to finish the rounds off.  This means coming back on Saturday mornings.  What will happen to other areas?

  • How is the service going to manage in bad weather? 
  • How is the service going to manage the bank holiday collections? 
  • What will happen with the excesses of general waste and recycling around Christmas and New Year?

Residents expect the Council to get the basics right and this is most definitely one of the basics that can cause them problems if it is not right.

We understand that there are going to be some difficult choices to make but we need to learn the lessons from other boroughs that have gone to three weekly – it has not worked well.

As a responsible opposition we will hold the Administration to account and will be seeking reassurances that the residents are not left without a functioning service and that the Borough does not become ridden with fly-tipping.