Third Inverness community sets up cold call control zone
17th September 2014
Dalneigh and Columba Community Council have become the latest community to say "NO" to unwanted doorstep traders by establishing a Cold Call Control Zone.
Residents in St Mungo Road, St Margaret's Road, St John's Avenue, St Mary's Avenue, St Andrew Drive and St Ninian Drive will be covered by the initiative which is facilitated by The Highland Council’s Trading Standards and supported by Police Scotland.
Many doorstep traders operate within the law. However some "rogue" doorstep traders target the vulnerable by charging inflated prices for poor quality goods and services, using intimidation tactics and acting as a front for distraction burglaries. This can lead to great financial loss, embarrassment, aggravated health issues and, in some cases, increased mortality for the victims.
Residents in The Highland Council area lost nearly £95,000 in 259 reported incidents last year as a result of doorstep crime. National statistics suggest that only ten percent of doorstep crime is ever reported.
Street signs will be displayed in the area to indicate to uninvited traders that they are in a Cold Call Control Zone and that their business is not wanted. Every household in the zone will be issued with a Residents’ Information Pack that contains a door sticker and information on how to deal with and report an unwanted doorstep trader. Residents will be encouraged to report any incidents to either Trading Standards or the Police.
While it is not illegal for a trader to enter a Cold Call Control Zone, any trader who persists on cold calling, when a householder has indicated that they do not wish it, could be considered as carrying out an aggressive commercial practice which is a criminal offence under consumer protection law.
This is the third scheme of its kind in The Highland Council area following the launch of a zone covering the Highfield Avenue and Blarmore Avenue area of Inverness last week and the establishment of a pilot scheme in Wimberley Way, Inverness in 2012.
Residents in the zone are invited to an open evening at Dalneigh Primary School on Tuesday 16th September between 1900 and 2030 where the Residents’ packs will be distributed.
Dalneigh and Columba Community Council Chair Ted MacKenzie said: "This is a valuable way of protecting vulnerable people in our community. I hope residents within the zone embrace the information available to them and report any incidents of unwanted doorstep trading."
Head of Trading Standards Gordon Robb said: “Cold Call Control Zones are an extremely useful tool for us when it comes to tackling doorstep crime. The issues associated with doorstep crime and cold calling have been identified as a national priority by Trading Standards and I welcome any steps that help to educate the public on how they can protect themselves, more vulnerable neighbours and say “no” to this unwanted menace.”
Related Businesses
Related Articles
As intimated in Highland Council's budget plan, a new senior management structure is to be implemented following approval by Council 14th March. It reconfigures the senior management team into two layers, rather than three and brings Highland Council into line with other benchmarked authorities.
Today, Morrison Construction introduced some of their local apprentices who are working on the UK Governments' Levelling Up Funded refurbishment project at the Northern Meeting Park in Inverness. All these apprentices have been recruited from the Highland area.
The by-election to elect a councillor to represent Ward 19 - Inverness South on The Highland Council has been won by Duncan Cameron McDonald - Independent who was one of the eight candidates who contested the vacancy. Voters in the ward went to the poll yesterday (Thursday 11 April) and the by-election count was held this morning in The Highland Council Headquarters in Inverness.
The Technology Placement Programme offers funding to businesses in the Highland Council area to cover up to 70% of the cost of employing a student or graduate. The Technology Placement Programme offers funding to businesses in the Highland Council area to cover up to 70% of the cost of employing a student or graduate.
Following the success of its Business Digital Grant scheme launched last year, The Highland Council is delighted to announce further funding. This is to help Highland companies access digital support alongside other business growth support.
The Highland Council is delighted to confirm a highly successful second year for Public Service Obligation (PSO) flights between Wick and Aberdeen. The period from April 2023 to March 2024 has seen a substantial increase in passenger numbers, with several months seeing over 1,000 passengers using the service, and overall the service has seen year on year growth of 25%.
Members of Highland Council, who met on Thursday 14 March 2024, approved a corporate Digital Ambition, which has been designed to deliver significant organisational change across Council services, recognising the current priorities within the organisation. The Strategy, which is embedded within the wider Council Delivery Plan, has been developed to focus attention and resources on areas of change which will deliver the greatest benefit to the Council.
The Council remains committed to supporting mentoring in our schools, including the support that is currently delivered through the MCR Pathways programme. Highland Council is currently undertaking a review of Employability Support provided by a number of different council services and how these relate to the work carried out by external partners and in our schools.
Highland Council members have considered and agreed a revised draft Highland Outcome Improvement Plan. The partnership plan has been reviewed and updated by the Community Planning Partnership.
Members at today's (14 March 2024) meeting of The Highland Council agreed the local authority's new draft Community Wealth Building Strategy. They were also asked to note that a period of public engagement on the draft will now begin, with a final strategy returning to full Council for consideration in September.
