NORTHWICH homeowners are being warned of rats seeking refuge in their homes following the recent floods. The town was hit with severe flooding last week in the aftermath of heavy rain from Storm Christoph, with homes and businesses suffering water damage. But a national trade body for pest control is warning that residents should now also be on guard against unwanted lodgers. The British Pest Control Association (BPCA), is urging householders to take preventative steps now to avoid the risk of an infestation. Dee Ward-Thompson, BPCA Technical Manager, said: “Each year winter weather forces some rats to seek warmer, indoor spaces near a source of food, but flooding can drive even more rats out of their burrow, forcing them to find a new place to nest.
Unexpected Brexit bonus is dazzling in its clarity
Ultra-bright LED car headlights are the scourge of night driving but a quirk of existing legislation spells the end for the worst offenders
27 January 2021 • 6:01pm
Being blinded by the overly bright lights of oncoming traffic at night is a fact of modern driving. But the number of cars whose lights dazzle because halogen bulbs have been replaced with LEDs should soon start to dwindle. And it’s a fortunate by-product of Brexit.
For at least the last 10 years, the law governing headlight bulbs has been clear yet maddeningly vague, all at once. To be road-legal, headlight bulbs had to have an E mark, for components approved to be used in the EU, or conform to a British Standard. But because the legislation was drafted in the mid-1980s, before LED replacement bulbs existed, there was nothing to stop people fitting ultra-bright LED bulbs in units designed for halogens. And as there was no law, these bulbs couldn’t be awarded a
The report says neighbours may have assumed the device was monitored so there was no need to call 999.
The social housing provider informed the coroner the alarms were of an appropriate standard, properly installed and worked in a letter sent in October.
John Henderson, managing director, said EastendHomes was deeply saddened by the tragic death and fully co-operated with the coroner.
He said all homes are fitted with British Standard smoke alarms which are tested regularly while Eastend Homes works closely with London Fire Brigade on safety. This is an incredibly sad case. Our thoughts are with Pauline’s family and friends who we have been in contact with throughout and continue to offer our sincerest condolences, he added.
By Andrew Mellor
Industry needs aligned and consistent guidance to minimise time, cost and anguish, warns Andrew Mellor
This month the RICS published a public consultation seeking views on the renewed guidance on the production of EWS1 forms.
The EWS1 form was introduced just over a year ago to help the existing housing sales market by providing a more standardised process for assessing the risk of external walls of multi-occupancy residential buildings. The forms were initially intended for use on buildings over 18m but mortgage lenders have been consistently requesting the form for blocks of all heights.
Now the consultation, which closes on January 25 and aims to introduce new guidance in the spring, is proposing that EWS1 forms not be required for buildings over six storeys where there is no cladding or curtain walling and no vertically stacked balconies constructed from combustible materials.