13 February 2024 , 08:51
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A team of rat experts were brought in to tackle what has been called a "biblical plague" in Blackpool.
Residents living in Woodlark Chase in Norbreck witnessed rats nesting in their garden sheds, chewing through car wiring and even sitting on windowsills. Heavy rain and flooding is believed to have brought the massive influx of rats seeking drier ground.
Pest control professionals have now been able to bring the problem under control but Councillor Julie Sloman warned how future housing projects should include measures to control rats if the ground is disturbed during construction. She also pointed out that other areas of Blackpool have also had rat infestations. Cllr Sloman said at a council meeting on January 31 how the area in Norbreck has "been infested by what I can only describe as a plague of rats of almost biblical proportions".
She stated: "A pest controller has been retained to get on top of the problem. I think now the developer and management company have taken ownership of the problem hopefully there will not be a recurrence. I believe similar measures have been successfully taken at other housing developments on the Fylde coast. If a problem like this is not effectively dealt with the rats will just move on to other areas.
Experts have been tackling the issue (Lancashire Live)
The problem is believed to have been caused by heavy rain bringing rats to drier areas (Lancashire Live)"It was important to gauge the scale of the problem to be able to deal with it effectively, and we had reports of other areas affected in Anchorsholme and Whiteholme. Developers of land in Blackpool, especially if it is near open ponds, need to plan and prevent this from happening in the future and do the groundwork needed. Issues with the construction and management of the development has caused some misery for the householders and residents, the latest being the rat issue."
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She claimed that Lovell Homes hadn't properly carried out the drainage work agreed upon during the planning permission phase, reported LancsLive. The problem grew so bad that Blackpool Council's environmental health team was called in after locals contacted them, and they discovered that rats were coming from a nearby watercourse.
A representative from Lovell confirmed: "We are aware of, and have acted in response to, the pest control issues reported at Woodlark Chase. An environment officer has visited and confirmed that an offsite ditch, not owned by Lovell or related to the development, was impacted by heavy rainfall with the resulting flooding leading to rat habitats being pushed onto the Woodlark Chase development. Lovell completed and left the site in December 2022 with the management company that is responsible for the development now continuing to work closely with the Council to take further coordinated actions to eradicate the issue."