Seagull incidents and costs
Case reference FOI2022/00748
Published 6 July 2022
Request
I am writing to request information relating to seagulls /gulls in your local area, please can you supply:
1. How many complaints involving seagulls/gulls did the council receive in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022*
2. How many incidents involved a seagull/gull attacking an individual or pet in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022*
3. How much was spent on seagull/gull management in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022**?
4. Please give a brief description of the measures taken relevant to question 3.
5. Does your local authority have a specific fine regime related to gulls?. If so, please give a breakdown of fines given for feeding gulls in the years 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022?
Response
A1.
Year Q1 Q2 People Q2 Pets Control Budget
2016 23 0 0 £7,000*
2017 23 0 0 £7,000*
2018 17 0 0 £7,000*
2019 40 1 0 £7,000*
2020 36 1 0 £0**
2021 20 2 0 £0**
2022 10 0 0 £0**
*This was the cost for employing a Contractor to remove gull egg and nest from buildings in Hereford City. Council staff management and administration costs not included or costed as it was incorporated or calculated.
** Following changes to legislation the gull egg and nest removal contract was ceased.
A2. Answer above in Q1 table
A3. Answer above in Q1 table
A4. There is no statutory obligation on local authorities to control gulls. However between 2007 to 2020 Herefordshire Council through a stakeholder forum reviewed the situation with nesting gulls in Hereford city and agree a way forward on their control. As part of this initiative Herefordshire Council appointed a specialist contractor to carry out a programme of gull nesting control through egg and nest removals through the breeding season April to September, monitoring and provide advice. This service was mainly funded by Hereford City Council and operated by Herefordshire Council Environmental Health and trading standards service. This initiative was run as a voluntary participation by business to allow access to nesting areas where there was safe access. There was no enforcement work associated with this Gull control initiative. Following changes to legislation in 2020 the initiative to provide a Contractor service to remove gull egg and nest from buildings in Hereford City was terminated.
A5. No
Documents
This is Herefordshire Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
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