Ban on pigeon feeding in Waterlooville town centre is being reviewed

Residents and businesses in Waterlooville are invited to share their views in a public consultation.

It comes as Havant Borough Council undertake a review of the Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) introduced in the town in April 2018 which was designed to stop people from feeding the birds.

Currently, any person found to be leaving seeds, bread or grain which is edible to pigeons within the designated area of Waterlooville precinct will receive a fixed penalty notice of £80.

Councillor Narinder Bains, cabinet lead for neighbourhoods, safety and enforcement, explained: ‘Prior to this order being made we had a number of complaints in relation to the feeding of the birds, because of the repercussions this was having on the town centre.

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‘We were constantly being asked by local businesses and residents to clamp down on those who were encouraging the pigeons, by feeding them, and we think that by continuing to have these controls, it will continue to encourage behaviour change in the very small pocket of the community.

‘We are keen to hear the effectiveness of the current order since it was introduced and to determine if there is anything else we can be doing to eradicate any continuing issues.’

The current PSPO is due to expire in April 2021 and there is a legal framework that must be reviewed every three years. More information about this can be found here.

To have your say on how effective the order has been, visit the council’s website.

The consultation starts today and will remain open until Friday, October 23.

Anyone unable to access the consultation online can call 023 9244 6053 (during office hours) to go through the consultation on the telephone.

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