Boston Borough Council considers fines for people who feed the birds in the town centre after public call for action
Council bosses may soon impose fines on individuals caught feeding wild birds in a town centre.
After concerns made by members of the public, the Boston Borough Council is considering extending its Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) to enable enforcement action against those feeding birds.
Those caught in the act in designated areas in Boston - including the Marketplace, South Street, around The Stump, Strait Bargate, part of Wide Bargate, the War Memorial and the Garden of Remembrance - would face a £100 fixed penalty notice, should it be approved by the authority's cabinet.
Councillors reviewed the proposed PSPO extension during an environment & performance committee meeting on Thursday (September 5). Presenting the report on behalf of council leader Anne Dorrian (Independent) was Coun Callum Butler (Independent).
He explained: "Concerns have been raised to the council by members of the public that the number of birds within the town centre area is causing a number of issues.
"These include damage to buildings, making our town street and furniture dirty and unkempt, and also causing a wider health issue with the sheer volume of faeces.
"While there is no current law to stop people from feeding birds, local authorities can adopt restrictions through the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime & Policing Act 2014, this allows for restrictions to be implemented on certain areas.
"Anyone found feeding the birds within the PSPO area would be liable to a fixed penalty notice of a maximum of £100, as prescribed in legislation."
Coun Butler later highlighted that failure to pay this fine could lead to prosecution and a maximum fine of £1,000.
A public consultation conducted from May 1 to July 31, 2024, revealed that of the 222 residents who responded, 82% believed there was an issue with bird feeding and 86% supported the council taking enforcement action against those feeding the birds.
Coun Mike Gilbert (Blue Revolution) was among those in support of the action. He said: "We have some marvellous buildings. We are trying to sell Boston town centre as a visitor destination and, in my opinion, the number and volume of birds we have in the town centre detracts from that."
Although generally supportive, Coun Patricia Marson (Independent) was cautious about the potential number of fines.
She argued that officers should be "as lenient as they can be", adding: "I don’t want to see old Doris, who's 89 years old, getting a £100 fine for throwing a bit of bread to a pigeon."
Despite this, officers maintained that the council would need to be 'absolutely consistent in enforcement'.
They also acknowledged that other measures might be necessary to control and prevent pigeons from entering the town and suggested encouraging businesses to 'birdproof' their buildings.
