Renewed call to control bird population (From Bucks Free Press)

Renewed call to control Chesham bird population

4:12pm Tuesday 15th January 2013 in News By Andy Carswell

FED-UP Chesham residents have again said they want the bird population in the town's most popular park to be brought under control.

Back in 2007 more than two thirds of people asked said they felt the birds around Skottowes Pond in Lowndes Park were creating a nuisance and their numbers needed reducing.

And those views have been backed up in a recent residents' survey carried out by Chesham Town Council, which owns the park.

A report on the survey's findings said: "Many people were unhappy about the amount of fouling of footpaths and lower lawns by the waterfowl, in particular the Canada Geese. 117 people called for waterfowl numbers to be managed, with 67 suggesting that the paths surrounding the pond should be cleaned more frequently."

But it added: "However, there was a very low understanding about the causes of over-population and fouling, with only eight people suggesting that more should be done to prevent the public from feeding the waterfowl with bread."

When the issue was last raised councillors considered moving some of the problem birds - which were mainly geese - on to a different site.

A cull of the birds was also mooted but councillors said they would only consider the move as a last resort.

The new report also noted that 14 residents suggested there should be more restrictions on dogs in Lowndes Park, with dog-free zones one of the ideas put forward.