Cash aid to fight pigeon menace in Northumberland

Dec 30 2008 by Brian Daniel, The Journal

TALKS have been held in a bid to find a solution to a feathered pest problem in two Northumberland towns.

Alnwick and Amble have historically suffered from plagues of pigeons, with townspeople complaining about the mess the birds make.

A meeting was held in Alnwick earlier this month to find the most effective, humane and long-term solution.

The meeting involved local businesses, the Pigeon Control Advisory Service and representatives of Alnwick District Council.

The council has allocated funding for grants to help businesses pigeon proof their premises and will cover up to 70% of the cost of the necessary work.

It has set aside a budget of s10,000 to do this but is to decide on a co-ordinated approach to prevent the problem being moved to others parts of the towns.

Suggestions on pigeon control included establishing a managed pigeon loft where the birds would be attracted to nest.

The eggs could then be removed and replaced with dummy eggs allowing the population to dwindle.

There was agreement that if this was established first, then problem roosts around the towns could then be cleared and sealed with the help of the council grants. It was also felt that some short-term deterrent measures such as removable anti-roosting spikes may be required on roofs and window ledges in areas such as Fenkle Street in Alnwick where pavement droppings are intense.

Pigeon droppings have defaced pavements, walls and roof tops and have caused the added nuisance of blocking gullies and drains at the two towns.

The pests have been an ongoing problem in Alnwick, especially around the Market Place, Fenkle Street and Narrowgate.

The situation has worsened due to recent development work in the town, such as at The Maltings, which has meant pigeons have become displaced.

In Amble, the pigeons roost on a couple of properties on Queen Street and on Lawrences DIY store on Bridge Street.

Steve Revell, head of regeneration at the district council, said: The council has allocated funding to help businesses pigeon proof their premises and we want to identify the most effective way of doing this.

We want to protect groups of buildings in problem areas and make full use of the funds available. Several suggestions on how to control the problem were put forward at the meeting and these are now being considered.

The council held annual culls in the towns up until 2001 when they were abandoned amid concerns that shooting the birds was cruel.

The problem flared up again earlier this year prompting businesses in Alnwick to call for action.

Prudhoe Town Council agreed to take action to tackle an increasing pigeon population on the towns Front Street in February this year.