‘Businesses in Bath city centre must play their part in helping tackle the gull menace’, is the message from B&NES Council as it carries out an enforcement campaign targeting those that are failing to put out their waste correctly.
This is one of a number of measures being taken by the Council as part of its Gull Strategy.
Councillor Martin Veal (Conservative, Bathavon North), Cabinet Member for Community Services, said: “Urban gulls create mess by scavenging waste bags in their search for food. By presenting their waste in the right way, businesses can help prevent this.
“Put simply, your business must not feed the gulls. We are monitoring this very closely and we will be taking enforcement action against businesses that are not complying with the rules. We will issue Fixed Penalty Notices and take businesses to court if we have to.
“This is a problem that we need to tackle as a community & business plays their part. We need everyone to do their bit to help us keep the streets clear of litter and waste and please… ‘Do Not feed the gulls!’
“Some businesses are working very hard to keep the city’s streets clear of litter, but they are being let down by others.”
Schwartz Bros, which has takeaways on Saw Close and Walcot Street, is a good example of how to deal with waste; to keep the area outside clean and to deter gulls and other pests, staff regularly wash down the store-front and make sure their bins are stored away neatly.
Alex Smith, owner of Schwartz, said: “It’s important to us as a business to present our waste properly, to keep the streets tidy and help prevent gulls and other pests. We separate glass, cardboard and general rubbish.
“We use heavy-duty sacks for compacted cardboard and general rubbish and clear plastic sacks for the glass. Each bag is labelled and then cable tied when put out onto the pavement ready for collection.”
The Council’s enforcement team have been visiting businesses in the city centre to get across the message that businesses must:
- Put rubbish and recycling out on the right day, at the right time.
- If rubbish / recycling is not collected within these times, remove it from the pavement or highway and contact your contractor.
- Put business rubbish / recycling out in the correct containers. Don’t overfill them and make sure they are properly closed. Make sure sacks are tied properly.
- Clear up if bags split – take responsibility.
- Reduce the food supply to gulls. Arrange a food waste recycling collection.
- Choose bins instead of bags or, if your contractor provides them, use re-usable rubbish bags that are stronger and more resistant to gull attacks.
As part of the Gull Strategy, the Council has also provided free roof treatments to remove gull nests in areas where evidence showed large or increasing numbers of breeding pairs.
The Council is also working with University of the West of England and Middlesex University to carry out research into gull behaviour.
To find out more, visit: www.bathnes.gov.uk/dontfeedthegulls, email [email protected] or call 01225 39 40 41.