Pigeons making Biggleswade look "absolutely disgusting" meeting told as council considers 'shabby' Abbots Walk

Pigeons nesting in Biggleswade town centre are ruining the appearance of some areas and action is required, a meeting heard.

The roosting birds are incompatible with creating a suitable environment around shops and businesses, former town mayor Grant Fage told a Central Bedfordshire Council Biggleswade joint committee meeting

Independent Biggleswade West CBC councillor Hayley Whitaker mentioned an issue, which she suggested comes under “how we can support our businesses to make improvements” in the town centre.

“I’m very conscious that Abbots Walk is looking really shabby,” she explained. “It’s the same landlord for all of that.

“How do we support that landlord to make this area better? It’s making it an unpleasant place to walk through now to get to the Asda supermarket or, if you park at the store, to reach the town centre.

“It strikes me we want to do this by carrot and not stick, so how do we encourage them to make those improvements?”

Conservative Biggleswade East CBC councillor Fage said: “Get rid of the pigeons. The pigeons still need to be dealt with.

“It escalated far too far (before). These are birds which carry disease and they’re nesting above the archway at Abbots Walk. It looks absolutely disgusting, when you’ve got a nice hairdressers on one side and Tracey Jane Fashion on the other side. I don’t see how these pigeons are compatible with a safe, nice town centre.

“There needs to be a plan for these pigeons again, whether it’s dealing with them in the same way that was planned originally or we come up with something more innovative. I think they’re really detracting from the town centre now.”

Independent Biggleswade East councillor Gareth Tranter, who chairs the committee, asked councillor Whitaker whether she was considering UK shared prosperity funding for any improvements or to contact the landlord.

She replied: “The area between Asda and the High Street is really shabby. I’m wondering how we work with the landlord, who owns all of those premises, to offer support to bring improvement to that area of the town.

“It’s a vital walkway between one of the key parking areas and the High Street. I’m interested in how we support the landlord to do something about that.”

CBC’s head of sustainability Stephen Mooring said: “There was a high street improvement scheme which involved working with businesses to improve shop fronts a few years ago, so that might be something.

“I’m also aware that in other towns, such as Dunstable, we’ve used enforcement. It’s a fine line there.

“Some landlords are just happy to take rent and don’t really care about the condition of properties, while others are more diligent and trying their best.

“Let’s take that away with us. It’s probably something we could consider for next year’s UK shared prosperity fund.”

Councillor Fage added: “There are also the bins. I understand the council isn’t responsible for emptying those because they’re on private land. It’s the landlord’s right.

“Obviously the carrot first, but perhaps there’s a back-up there from the environmental health perspective.”