Gwynedd council pest control service spared axe

Gwynedd council's pest control service has been spared closure but councillors have urged the public to use the unit if they want it to continue.

It had faced the axe as part of the authority's efforts to cut costs following a decision to approve £4.6m of cuts in March.

But the council has now decided to keep the unit.

Councillor Dafydd Meurig said it was doing vital work but said it needed to generate more income to survive.

'Use it or lose it'

"As the pest control unit costs some tens of thousands of pounds to the council annually, we had to consider a proposal to abolish it," the cabinet member for planning and regulation said.

"In order to secure its long-term future however, it is vital that the unit generate more income from its services.

"It is also vital that Gwynedd residents make full use of it. If they don't use the service, then they run the risk of losing it."

The unit offers free advice on how to deal with pest problems and charges fees for controlling some pests.