Moray council to look at further ways to tackle seagulls in Buckie and elsewhere
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Moray Council’s SNP administration says it has asked council officers to investigate a range of options to help tackle seagulls.
While the issue had been for going on years there's been an upsurge this season in people raising their concerns with councillors.
Graham Leadbitter, the council leader's, said: "A significant effort has been made in recent years to reduce seagull numbers, mainly through nest and egg removal.
"The council’s housing and estates team arrange for the removal of nests and eggs from our buildings, including schools.
"Local councillors in Elgin and Forres have given cross-party and independent support to the use of common good funds in pilot projects in hotspots.
"This gas seen the removal of hundreds of nests this year alone from houses.
"In addition, Elgin BID are also running their own funded project in Elgin City Centre.
"Despite these efforts, seagull complaints are on the increase.
"There is a significant impact on quality of life from excessive noise from gulls, from the mess they leave and even physical injury in cases where seagulls have attacked people.
"We have asked council officers to look into a range of options to complement the existing work that is being done.
Cllr Leadbitter (Elgin South, SNP) stated that ideas being considered included increasing the investment for nest and egg removal.
Another idea would be to 'seagull proof' litter bins.
Cllr Leadbitter also talked about local campaigns to encourage householders and businesses to keep waste bins secure and improve building maintenance in order to prevent nesting.
He said: "The issue is complex as seagulls are frustratingly clever and develop evasive behaviours such as seeking alternative food sources like animal feed in nearby agricultural settings.
"There is no quick fix to the problem and it requires continuous efforts to see long-term reductions in numbers.
"But we are very keen to put in place measures that will contribute to a reduction in numbers and work with other councillors to gain support for that."
Cllr Louise Nicol, (Speyside and Glenlivet, SNP) said: "There is no doubt that aggressive and noisy behaviour by seagulls causes misery to many people.
"Many constituents report food being taken out of people’s hands, including children.
"There have been attacks on pets and even on people, causing injury and distress.
"The impact on both local residents and on visitors to our region is significant.
"The mess left behind costs time and money to fix – whether that is in cleaning up or unblocking nesting material blocking from drains which has caused water damage to homes and businesses.
"The council carries out egg and nest removal on its properties, as do many businesses and homeowners.
"But we need more homeowners and businesses to keep an eye on their roofs and take action when nests appear.
"This needs to be a concerted effort from many people.
"We will look carefully at what additional investment could be made and seek the support of other councillors to better control gull numbers."
Related article:
