Campaigner lists cost to gull-proof city buildings
Love them or hate them, every spring hundreds of gulls come to breed in the centre of Bath.
With their squawking, divebombing, faeces scattering and bin liner ripping, they aren’t exactly the city’s most popular visitor.
Bath resident and gull campaigner Tim Newark claims that Bath and North East Somerset council could solve the problem of gulls permanently by spending £35,000 on gull-proofing many of the roofs around the historic city.
Tim sought out a quote from a local building maintenance contractor for installing central guttering netting and chimney cowls on two neighbouring Georgian building roofs in one day for a price of £350 each.
He said: “If systematically carried out throughout the centre of Bath that could mean 100 roofs protected for £35,000 - less than the annual £55,000 spent on previous council anti-gull measures - and if carried out, year on year, some 500 roofs could be protected over five years.”
Natural England (NE) actively encourages gull-proofing as the first stage in controlling urban gulls.
Addressing the British Pest Control Association at the end of last year, NE spokesperson David Brown advised netting and other non-lethal methods before applying for licences for nest removal.
Bath councillor Andy Furse said: “I am happy to support anything that addresses what most city centre residents and visitors consider as a significant gull problem.
“From early spring to autumn the common gull and herring gulls can be aggressive and particularly noisy. Residents often complain and say why don’t they stay by the seaside where they belong?”
Tim says that covering the central roof guttering of Georgian buildings with netting to prevent the birds from nesting and placing anti-perching cowls on chimney tops, the centre of Bath would cease to be an attractive place for them to breed.
Several privately owned residences and commercial buildings have already done this as well as the Guildhall and Roman Baths.
Tim said: “For it to be really effective B&NES should take the lead in gull-proofing its considerable number of residential and commercial properties in the city centre.”
The Southgate shopping centre has already gull proofed its roofs and has seen success. Tim thinks a similar scheme should be rolled out across the entire city centre.
He said: “The modest cost could be borne by the council regarding its own properties but shared with businesses and owners of private properties.
“It could be carried out in phases beginning with a trial in Milsom Street.”
Regular nest and egg removal has previously worked well in coordinated communities in Bath where whole terrace sweeps of roofs are carried out twice every breeding season by resident groups, such as in St James’s Square.
However there are many areas in Bath without these groups and subsequently residents are suffering from their noise and mess.
Other UK councils have already taken action with Scarborough Borough Council announcing a scheme in which 50 per cent grants of up to £2,000 would be available to help residents and businesses cover the cost of installing “netting, spikes and repellent gel” to prevent gulls nesting on Georgian and Victorian building roofs.
Bath councillor June Player thinks this process should be extended to all new buildings too, with flat roofs being discouraged.
She said: “Anti-gull measures should be incorporated at planning policy stage. I feel that it is the only way to slowly but surely reduce the amount of nesting places on new builds in the city.”
B&NES Council is currently asking residents for reports of dangerous and health-threatening gull behaviour.
Tim said: “Unless the council uses this pro-actively to clear nests from all its city centre properties, it will be simply tinkering at the edge of the problem.”
■ What, if anything, do you think should be done about seagulls in Bath? Let us know by emailing news@bathchron.co.uk.