Wrexham Council to scrap its Public Protection out of office hours standby service

A council-operated public protection service that deals with out of hours queries, is to be scrapped to help make savings of over £20,000.

The out of office hours standby service was set up several years ago to deal with complaints or enquiries which require an emergency response for the protection of public health or safety.

Currently the standby officer is available to be contacted by the council’s emergency contact centre from 5.30 pm on weekdays or during the weekend.

However a report put before Executive Board members on earlier this week, explained: “Many of the complaints or enquiries received relate to pest control in domestic properties, but the council stopped providing this service in June 2015 as it was discretionary (although Housing and Economy provide a contract pest control service for council properties).

“Most other complaints have been in regard to noise or public health nuisance (eg noise from people/equipment or accumulations of refuse) which do not require an emergency out of hours response, but can be addressed the next working day.”

It is estimated stopping the service will save the council £21,957 between 2018/19.

Speaking earlier this week, Lead Member for Communities, Partnerships, Public Protection and
Community Safety, Cllr Hugh Jones assured councillors that the in hours service will not change or be affected.

He said: “In terms of the proposals before us, what we are looking to do is focus the service during normal office hours. The standby service is dealing with by and large non-emergency issues that doesn’t require a response out of hours.

“What we are simply seeking to do is make some savings in an area where we are providing a service that is nice to have but not necessary.”

However Cllr Dana Davies called for clarification as to why stopping the service hadn’t featured in the recent budget process and if the council had looked at collaborating with other local authorities before closing

Cllr Jones noted that it “takes two to tango” with collaboration work with neighbouring authorities – adding that the council is “continuing to pursue that and meetings will continue to take place across the whole service area to look at partnership and collaboration.”

Members of the Executive Board unanimously backed proposals to cease operation of the out of hours service from April 2nd.