FOI request (FOIR-819717919)

I am writing to request information about preventative pest control measures and compliance oversight at sites for which the Council has responsibility. Please provide the following information:

1. A description of the preventative measures currently in place to reduce the risk of pest infestations at council-owned or council-managed sites. This should cover the full range of sites under the Council's control, including (but not limited to) housing stock, council offices, depots, public spaces, parks, and any other land or buildings managed by or on behalf of the Council. Please address each category of site, even if only briefly, rather than limiting the response to housing or tenant-facing services.

2. Details of any policies, procedures, guidance, or standard operating procedures used to ensure that pest prevention and control activities comply with:

- a. Relevant legislation (including environmental health and animal welfare requirements)

- b. Any internal council standards or best-practice guidance.

3. Information on how the Council monitors and ensures compliance with these preventative measures and guidelines, including:

- a. Any inspection, audit, or review processes, including the frequency of such processes, who is responsible for conducting them, and whether any independent or external scrutiny is applied

- b. The role of officers, teams, or contractors in overseeing compliance

- c. What action is taken, or what escalation process exists, where non-compliance or a failure of preventative measures is identified

4. Where pest control services are delivered by external contractors, please confirm:

- a. What policies or codes of practice relating to prevention and control that external contractors are expected to comply with

- b. How the Council assures itself that those requirements are being met

Please note that I'm not asking for a site-by-site or case-by-case breakdown. A high-level overview is fine. If you're withholding any part of this response under an exemption, please let me know which exemption applies and provide the rest of the information.