Feed the bins in Swansea, not the birds

Residents are being urged to feed the litter bins and not the birds in the city centre this summer.

Swansea Council is joining forces with city centre businesses within Swansea BID to encourage people not to feed gulls and pigeons that congregate in many areas in the centre such as Castle Square.

The feathered creatures are a nuisance to city centre businesses and the council as well as visitors and shoppers who don’t like being pestered or facing the unlucky prospect of bird droppings landing on them.

That’s why later this month litter bins across the city centre will be carrying the message that snacking city centre visitors should put any waste food in litter bins and not feed it to congregating birds.

It’s all part of the latest phase of the #tidySwansea campaign that’s previously tackled the problem of dumped litter and dog poo in city streets.

Mark Thomas, Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, said other cities like Bath and Bristol as well as seaside communities like St Ives and Padstow have already introduced a ban on people feeding gulls and pigeons. It’s been banned in London’s Trafalgar Square for more than a decade.

He said: “People visiting the city centre have complained about the way birds congregate around them when they’re eating as well as the unsightly mess they leave behind on pavements, cars and street furniture. The council spends thousands of pounds a year clearing up the mess.

“That’s why we want people visiting our city centre to feed litter bins with their waste food rather than the birds.”

Russell Greenslade, Chief Executive of Swansea BID, said: “We have a lot of food related businesses in the city centre and feedback from the business, large and small, has been that feeding the birds creates numerous issues for them and their customers such as the birds stealing food. They also leave a mess behind that impacts on the visitor experience and trading environment.”

The Council is also warning the public that feeding the birds by dropping food on the ground could lead to a fixed penalty notice for littering.

Cllr Thomas added: “People who dump their food waste already risk a £75 fixed penalty notice for littering and this includes if they drop food to feed the birds.

“It’s a sanction we haven’t used much in the past but it’s important that we all play our part in keeping the gull and pigeon nuisance to a minimum.”