Local Elections: What voters really want from their councils
With voters heading to the polls tomorrow, a recent YouGov survey reveals what local issues matter most — and the answers are not always what you might expect.
Council considers feeding pigeons contraceptives
02/02/2026 Norwich City Council is considering feeding contraceptives to the local pigeons in an effort to reduce the number of birds in the city’s central market. |
Councillors fear pest issues amid discovery of colossal rat
05/08/2025 A vermin case involving a 22-inch rat found in a Normanby home has raised concerns about a council’s pest control management. |
Brum pauses charges for rat infestations
22/04/2025 Birmingham City Council has temporarily waived charges for residents who require help with rat infestations during the bin strikes. |
Councils spend £40m fighting ‘ratflation’
09/04/2025 Local authority pest control services made nearly 300,000 visits to people’s homes to deal with pest infestations last year at a cost of £40m. |
Scotland’s bin strikes will create ‘playground for pests’
04/07/2024 Residents in council areas that will be affected by the summer bin strikes in Scotland have been asked to take ‘reasonable steps’ to avoid attracting pests. |
Councils see dramatic rise in bedbug call-outs
05/04/2024 Local authorities saw a surge in pest control call-outs for bedbugs last year with freedom of information requests revealing they increased by a quarter. |
Public support more focus on poor health causes
02/10/2023 The Government should invest more in public health to address the roots of poor health, according to a poll for the charity Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH). |
Lockdown causing rat populations to surge in inner city residential areas
27/01/2021 The number of rat infestations in the most deprived inner-city areas increased by 25% last year, according to new figures. |
Pest Managed: Firmly on the radar in Winchester
05/07/2019 Environmental Health at Winchester City Council responds to our recent article Marking World Pest Day with a targeted campaign to local authorities. |
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Councils face calls to ban 'dangerous' weedkiller
14/08/2018 Councils are facing calls to ban the use of a controversial weedkiller after a landmark legal decision in the US. |
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Pest awareness in local government
20/07/2018 Dee Ward-Thompson outlines some of the main issues facing councils in pest control, and gives insight into a pioneering scheme from one local authority. |
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Getting into a lather over weed control
22/01/2018 Lewes District Council has been trialling the use of an eco-friendly hot foam weed killer as an alternative to traditional pesticides. Laura Sharman reports on the results. |
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Thousands of rare bees exterminated after council error
28/06/2017 A Welsh council has launched an investigation after a mistake led to thousands of rare bees being wiped out. |
