North Yorkshire Council has increased the cost of some of its pest control services.
The cost of paying the council to treat ants has gone up from £56.40 to £87 and the cost of treating wasps has risen from £66 to £73.
However, council fees for tackling rats, mice and grey squirrels have been pegged at £108, £98.40 and £175.20 respectively locally.
It is part of a move by the new council to harmonise pest control fees in the county.
North Yorkshire Council replaced seven district and borough councils, including Harrogate, in April.
Four of the previous councils — Harrogate, Hambleton, Richmondshire and Ryedale. — treated pests, which is a discretionary service local authorities are not obliged to provide.
According to a council report, Harrogate Borough Council was the only one to make a profit from pest control. The other three councils subsidised the service.
Harrogate Borough Council spent £102,100 on the service in 2022/23 and generated £153,600 — a profit of £51,500.
Now the council has set a new set of fees, which it estimates will generate a £13,000 profit this year.
The report says:
“The benefit is not significant in terms of income, but it would achieve greater consistency in charges across localities.”
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Ex-England player appointed director of rugby at Harrogate
Harrogate Rugby Club has appointed Martyn Wood as its new director of rugby.
The former Harrogate Grammar School student will replace David ‘Doc’ Doherty, who announced he will step down at the end of the season.
Wood joins Harrogate following a long playing career with Wasps, Bath and England. He also had coaching roles at Hull Ionians and Yorkshire Carnegie.
The club will end this season bottom of National League 2 North.
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The club has also announced that Sam Fox will continue as head coach next season.
Fox was appointed to the role at the start of this season after previously being head coach of the academy.
Aled Jones will take up the role of head of rugby transition.
Jones will be responsible for supporting young players as they move from the academy to senior rugby and will manage and coach the Georgians next season.