Property Developments and News

Rats are quite common in both rural and urban areas, but having one move in can be like having your own personal horror movie, live and at home.

A rat colony will often start with a single pregnant female, and unless there are obvious signs of damage, such as torn packages or droppings, the infestation may not be noticed in the early stages. Except when there are a lot of rats, or food is scarce, they will only come out at night, and daylight sightings are unlikely.

You may notice damage to food containers and cartons as rats gnaw at them, droppings (black, about the size of a peanut) become noticeable, and a rat running across the attic in the quiet of night can sound as if it is wearing boots.

Getting rid of rats is a job for the expert. Rat traps and cats will only remove some rats without eradicating the infestation and rats are resistant to some of the older poisons on sale to the public. A pest control operator can choose the more effective poisons which are only on sale to trained users, and can vary the way the bait is laid to take advantage of the rat’s natural habits. They will also explain how you can help by removing other sources of food.

Most rats will die underground and out of sight. If a rat dies under the floor or behind fitted furniture there may be a smell. This can be unpleasant, but if it is not possible to get at the body to remove it, the smell can be masked with an air freshener, and it will go away in about two weeks. If you find a dead rat leave it alone and get a pest control operator to remove it on the next visit.

Your local council does provide a pest control service for a small fee. Contact them direct for advice and accessing their services.

Citizens Advice Taunton are offering Pension Wise appointments across Somerset giving people access to free and impartial pension guidance in their local area.

Following pension reforms on April 6, people approaching retirement have greater freedom over how they can use their pension pots. People will be able to take a lump sum, take out an annuity or a mixture of both. Pension Wise is a new Government service designed to help people make sense of their pension options, and empower them to make the right choices for them.

Citizens Advice Taunton is delivering free face to face Pension Wise sessions which are available to book now. The 45 minute appointments will be tailored to the individual, taking into account the value of their pension and their plans for retirement.

A Pension Wise appointment may help you if you are approaching retirement or are 50 or over and have a defined contribution pension. Guidance appointments are also available on the telephone, delivered by the Pensions Advisory Service. People can also get information and general guidance online at www.pensionwise.gov.uk.

Liz Fothergill, Chief Officer of Citizens Advice Taunton, said:

“Citizens Advice Taunton is delivering Pension Wise appointments in Bridgwater, Minehead, Shepton Mallet, Taunton, Weston-super-Mare and Yeovil, giving easy access to Pension Wise.

“Pensions can be a confusing topic and Pension Wise appointments will help people to make sense of their pensions choices. Citizens Advice Taunton already helps people with retirement issues and we’ll continue to offer this service outside of Pension Wise.”

To book a telephone or face to face appointment, call 0300 330 1001.

For more information contact:

Tel: 01823 448958

You do not need permission to keep fish or one or two small caged animals or birds, but you do need permission from the Association before keeping any other animal, such as cats, dogs and poultry. Permission is usually granted on the understanding that your pet will be kept under control at all times. If you allow your pet to cause a problem to your neighbours or any other person in the vicinity of your home, the association may withdraw permission to keep the animal. If you fail to comply we can take court action against you for breach of tenancy.

If a neighbour who keeps an animal which you consider causes a nuisance, for example a dog that barks constantly or a crowing cockerel, as well as contacting us you can also report the matter to the Environmental Health Department at your local council. They have a statutory duty to investigate animals kept in a place as to be prejudicial to health or a nuisance.

If you feel that you wish the matter to be resolved without official intervention you could take advice from Mediation Somerset by contacting them on 01823 352210 or Devon Mediation Service on 01363 777734.

The boom and bust economy has affected many people and some may have been made redundant on many occasions causing them to move around the country to find employment. This may have resulted in payments being made into different pension schemes over a lifetime and these can be difficult to keep track of.

If you are retired or working but think you have paid into such a scheme it should be possible to track this down by contacting the Pension Tracing Service online. This service is free but you will be asked to fill in a form.

You will need to give the Pension Tracing Service as much information as you can, including whether you’re looking for a workplace pension or personal pension.

This can be done by visiting https://www.gov.uk/find-lost-pension

The Pension Tracing Service will hopefully give you the address of your scheme provider if they can find your pension. It will then be up to you to make any further enquiries.

You can also contact the Pension Tracing Service by phone or by post at Pension Tracing Service between Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm Telephone: 0845 6002 537.