Whitchurch solution to flap over nuisance geese
The riddle of how to stop Canadian geese taking over a park and leaving a mess on playing fields was discussed by almost 40 people at a public meeting.
People on both sides of the debate – including those wanting the geese culled and others who would prefer to see the birds left alone – attended the debate at Queensway Park in Whitchurch.
Measures to drive the birds away during the breeding season next spring have been agreed – including using a remote control speedboat, dog walkers patrolling the park and a fishing area set up on the lake.
Newly-laid eggs will also be pricked to stop them from hatching.
Rob Hewson, a member of the the Queensway Playing Fields committee and a Whitchurch town councillor, said Sunday's public meeting was constructive.
Councillor Hewson said: "It was good to see the people and I am very pleased with the comments we got.
"People can see the problem and people are keen to help us try and resolve it.
"What we are going to do is get people to start walking their dogs around the park and we have a remote control speedboat to drive around the water to scare them off.
"And next year we are going to be pricking the eggs which will stop them breeding, and when they stop breeding they will look elsewhere to do so."
Councillor Hewson says pricking the eggs will stop anything being born from them, but insisted the process had to be done the day they are laid.
He said: "We can't leave and egg there for three weeks and then prick it.
"We can only do it on the day then mark the egg so people know."
The committee is also hoping to set up a fishing area on the lake, which as well as being a facility to the town would also discourage geese from being on the water.
People living near Queensway Playing Fields received a letter from the committee in charge of the site telling them that the resident Canadian geese were to be culled to tackle an ongoing problem with bird mess.
However after widespread anger and a planned protest by campaigners the playing fields committee confirmed the cull will no longer take place.
Residents feared the 250-strong flock was going to be shot on the site, but members of the committee said they were going to be rounded up and sent away to be killed.
Councillor Hewson said: "We will not be culling now, we are going to try these things and hopefully it will stop the problem."
