Latest news with #nuisance
Sky News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Sky News
Calls for Scotland-wide seagull summit amid warnings someone could be killed
Politicians have called for a Scotland-wide seagull summit to be held amid warnings someone could be killed. Former Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross told the Scottish parliament during a debate on the issue that people risk losing their lives over the "growing problem" of "nuisance" gulls. Scots are being left "scared, attacked and traumatised", fellow Tory Rachael Hamilton said as she called for a nationwide summit to tackle the issue. Ms Hamilton said "aggressive" seagulls had attacked seven children in one month last year in Eyemouth, leaving one girl "with gashes to her scalp and blood running down her face". Agriculture minister Jim Fairlie had already promised to hold a seagull summit in the north of Scotland, but Ms Hamilton, who represents the south of Scotland, said a summit for the whole country is necessary. The Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire MSP called for action on the "growing nuisance", which she said posed a health and safety risk to residents. Ms Hamilton said the debate was "important" as she criticised what she said was a lack of action from the Scottish government, telling MSPs that "absolutely nothing" was getting done. "Aggressive seagull behaviour continues to cause a real concern amongst businesses, amongst tourists, amongst everybody that has anything to do along the harbour," she said about her constituency in Eyemouth. She said one business owner had described the situation as "people being scared, attacked and traumatised". 'Extremely serious issue' Mr Ross said during the debate in Scottish parliament on Thursday, one day before summer recess, that people would often "smirk" when hearing that the Scottish Parliament was debating the problems around gulls - but he said it was an "extremely serious issue". The Highlands and Islands MSP said constituents have told him they were worried about leaving their homes for fear of being "divebombed", while others have suffered mental health issues thanks to a lack of sleep caused by noisy gulls. He accused NatureScot of having a conflict of interest as the body responsible for both the licensing to control birds and to conserve them. He went on: "The behaviour of the SNP's quango NatureScot confirms they have lost the plot. They have told people to protect themselves with umbrellas and even suggested dogs as a deterrent. "The time has come to break up NatureScot. There is a clear conflict of interest in the fact they are responsible for considering licences to control gulls but are also responsible for protecting bird numbers." He added: "The strength of the cross-party support in my debate today should be all the SNP government need to finally act before we see someone killed due to being attacked by a gull." Jim Fairlie, the minister for agriculture, warned that the issue of gulls was "deadly serious", but said that he could not intervene on NatureScot to change the licensing system because it would leave the government open to judicial review. He urged people to stop feeding the birds, which he said was the primary reason for the issue.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Calls for Scotland-wide seagull summit amid warnings someone could be killed
A Scotland-wide summit to tackle 'deadly' seagulls must be held amid warnings someone could be killed, the Scottish Parliament has heard. Former Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross, who called a debate on the issue at Holyrood, warned that Scots risk losing their lives over the 'growing problem' of 'nuisance' gulls. Fellow Tory Rachael Hamilton said a nationwide summit must be held to tackle the issue as she warned that Scots are being left 'scared, attacked and traumatised'. Agriculture minister Jim Fairlie had already promised to hold a seagull summit in the north of Scotland but Ms Hamilton, who represents the south of Scotland, said a summit for the whole country is needed. The Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire MSP said 'aggressive' seagulls had attacked seven children in one month last year in Eyemouth, with one girl 'left with gashes to her scalp and blood running down her face'. She called for action on the 'growing nuisance', which she said posed a health and safety risk to residents. Despite rising complaints from locals, though, she said NatureScot's licensing system to control the birds was bureaucratic and failing to solve the issue. 'I think we need a summit,' she said. 'I don't think we just need a summit in Moray, we need a summit across Scotland.' Ms Hamilton said the debate was 'important' as she criticised what she said was a lack of action from the Scottish Government. She told MSPs: 'Absolutely nothing is getting done. I don't believe the Government are listening to us because the issue continues in my constituency in Eyemouth. 'Aggressive seagull behaviour continues to cause a real concern amongst businesses, amongst tourists, amongst everybody that has anything to do along the harbour. 'And it is not just a seasonal nuisance. It is a serious, growing health risk. It's a safety risk, particularly for children and elderly residents.' She said one business owner had described the situation as 'people being scared, attacked and traumatised'. MSPs debated the issue on Thursday, the last day of Parliament before the summer recess. Opening the debate, Mr Ross said people often 'smirk' when hearing that the Scottish Parliament is debating the problems around gulls – but he said it was an 'extremely serious issue'. The Highlands and Islands MSP said constituents have told him they are worried about leaving their homes for fear of being 'divebombed', while others have suffered mental health issues thanks to a lack of sleep caused by noisy gulls. One resident, he said, is spending £2,000 a year to remove nests from her home. 'People should not have to keep living in fear of being divebombed by these menaces on a daily basis, and are crying out for action,' he said. He accused NatureScot of having a conflict of interest as the body responsible for both the licensing to control birds and to conserve them. He went on: 'The behaviour of the SNP's quango NatureScot confirms they have lost the plot. They have told people to protect themselves with umbrellas and even suggested dogs as a deterrent. 'The time has come to break up NatureScot. There is a clear conflict of interest in the fact they are responsible for considering licences to control gulls but are also responsible for protecting bird numbers. 'If the minister cannot see that is a problem, then he is divorced from reality. 'The strength of the cross-party support in my debate today should be all the SNP Government need to finally act before we see someone killed due to being attacked by a gull.' Jim Fairlie, the minister for agriculture, said while people often 'chuckle and laugh' about the issue of gulls, he warned it was 'deadly serious'. But he told MSPs that he could not intervene on NatureScot to change the licensing system because it would leave the Government open to judicial review. He urged people to stop feeding the birds, which he said was the primary reason for the issue. The birds have been an increasingly common site in urban areas as they leave their natural habitat in search of food. He said: 'We have to work out what it is that is causing the issue in the first place. 'We are feeding them – it is quite simple. We are creating habitat, and we are creating feeding stations which are allowing gulls to inhabit our space, and that is now quite clearly coming into conflict.' He added: 'We have got to try and limit food waste and public littering. We have got to take away these feeding opportunities.' SNP MSP Christine Grahame warned against 'demonising' gulls, which she described as 'clever, adaptable' animals. 'Language such as 'mugging', 'menace' can be applied to us, our fellow counterparts,' she said, 'but it is not appropriate to demonise an animal simply looking for food. 'Anthropomorphising is tempting but not helpful.' A NatureScot spokesperson said: 'We understand gulls can sometimes cause problems in our towns and cities. 'At the same time, gull populations are facing serious declines. NatureScot has a duty to balance health and safety concerns with gull conservation. 'Over the last five years we have supported many individuals, businesses and communities to better manage gulls without the need to kill the birds or destroy their nests. 'As a result, the number of licence applications to destroy nests and eggs and kill chicks has reduced, from 2,633 in 2023 to 1,601 in 2024.' The spokesperson said in the longer term, Scots will 'need to find ways to live with gulls and other wildlife'. They added: 'We will continue to work with local authorities to ensure that collaborative gull management plans are put in place for future years, with a focus on effective preventative measures, deterrents, changes to behaviour and guidance.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Calls for Scotland-wide seagull summit amid warnings someone could be killed
A Scotland-wide summit to tackle 'deadly' seagulls must be held amid warnings someone could be killed, the Scottish Parliament has heard. Former Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross, who called a debate on the issue at Holyrood, warned that Scots risk losing their lives over the 'growing problem' of 'nuisance' gulls. Fellow Tory Rachael Hamilton said a nationwide summit must be held to tackle the issue as she warned that Scots are being left 'scared, attacked and traumatised'. Agriculture minister Jim Fairlie had already promised to hold a seagull summit in the north of Scotland but Ms Hamilton, who represents the south of Scotland, said a summit for the whole country is needed. The Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire MSP said 'aggressive' seagulls had attacked seven children in one month last year in Eyemouth, with one girl 'left with gashes to her scalp and blood running down her face'. She called for action on the 'growing nuisance', which she said posed a health and safety risk to residents. Despite rising complaints from locals, though, she said NatureScot's licensing system to control the birds was bureaucratic and failing to solve the issue. 'I think we need a summit,' she said. 'I don't think we just need a summit in Moray, we need a summit across Scotland.' Ms Hamilton said the debate was 'important' as she criticised what she said was a lack of action from the Scottish Government. She told MSPs: 'Absolutely nothing is getting done. I don't believe the Government are listening to us because the issue continues in my constituency in Eyemouth. 'Aggressive seagull behaviour continues to cause a real concern amongst businesses, amongst tourists, amongst everybody that has anything to do along the harbour. 'And it is not just a seasonal nuisance. It is a serious, growing health risk. It's a safety risk, particularly for children and elderly residents.' She said one business owner had described the situation as 'people being scared, attacked and traumatised'. NatureScot and the SNP have ignored this problem for far too long. I'm bringing forward a debate in Parliament today to demand action to control the menace of gulls in our communities. — Douglas Ross MSP (@Douglas4Moray) June 26, 2025 MSPs debated the issue on Thursday, the last day of Parliament before the summer recess. Opening the debate, Mr Ross said people often 'smirk' when hearing that the Scottish Parliament is debating the problems around gulls – but he said it was an 'extremely serious issue'. The Highlands and Islands MSP said constituents have told him they are worried about leaving their homes for fear of being 'divebombed', while others have suffered mental health issues thanks to a lack of sleep caused by noisy gulls. One resident, he said, is spending £2,000 a year to remove nests from her home. 'People should not have to keep living in fear of being divebombed by these menaces on a daily basis, and are crying out for action,' he said. He accused NatureScot of having a conflict of interest as the body responsible for both the licensing to control birds and to conserve them. He went on: 'The behaviour of the SNP's quango NatureScot confirms they have lost the plot. They have told people to protect themselves with umbrellas and even suggested dogs as a deterrent. 'The time has come to break up NatureScot. There is a clear conflict of interest in the fact they are responsible for considering licences to control gulls but are also responsible for protecting bird numbers. 'If the minister cannot see that is a problem, then he is divorced from reality. 'The strength of the cross-party support in my debate today should be all the SNP government need to finally act before we see someone killed due to being attacked by a gull.' Jim Fairlie, the minister for agriculture, said that while people often 'chuckle and laugh' about the issue of gulls, he warned it was 'deadly serious'. But he told MSPs that he could not intervene on NatureScot to change the licensing system because it would leave the Government open to judicial review. He urged people to stop feeding the birds, which he said was the primary reason for the issue. The birds have been an increasingly common site in urban areas as they leave their natural habitat in search of food. He said: 'We have to work out what it is that is causing the issue in the first place. 'We are feeding them – it is quite simple. We are creating habitat, and we are creating feeding stations which are allowing gulls to inhabit our space, and that is now quite clearly coming into conflict.' He added: 'We have got to try and limit food waste and public littering. We have got to take away these feeding opportunities.' SNP MSP Christine Grahame warned against 'demonising' gulls, which she described as 'clever, adaptable' animals. 'Language such as 'mugging', 'menace' can be applied to us, our fellow counterparts,' she said, 'but it is not appropriate to demonise an animal simply looking for food. 'Anthropomorphising is tempting but not helpful.' NatureScot has been approached for comment.
Irish Times
18-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Man who suffered noise nuisance from Wexford wind farm seeks €1m damages for a new home
A man who claims he had to leave his four-bedroom home in Co Wexford after wind turbine noise led to his mental health and relationship breaking down has asked the High Court to award him about €1 million damages to buy or build a similar home. Keith Rollo has spent €42,900 on rental accommodation since leaving his former home at Ballyduff, jointly owned with his ex-partner Margaret Webster, about four years ago, Ms Justice Emily Egan heard. The judge on Wednesday began a hearing to assess damages for Mr Rollo and Ms Webster following her judgment that wind turbine noise (WTN) generated at certain times of the day from the two-turbine Ballyduff wind farm at Kilcomb, near Enniscorthy, constituted a nuisance to them. The nearest turbine is 369m from their Hill House property. The judge found WTN also constituted a nuisance to Ross Shorten and Joan Carty, of Grange Road, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14, who had owned a property at Ballyduff, about 359m from the wind farm but sold it in 2021, three years after commencing their proceedings. READ MORE All four plaintiffs sued the wind farm operator Meenacloghspar (Wind) Limited, of Stillorgan Road, Donnybrook, Dublin 4, seeking orders restraining or restricting its operations and damages for nuisance. Represented by John Rogers SC, instructed by solicitors Noonan Linehan Carroll Coffey, they claimed that, due to noise, vibration and shadow flicker, their sleep was disrupted, their overall mental health suffered and their properties were devalued. The claims were denied. The cases ran for 51 days with estimated costs at about €3 million and were the first private nuisance claims from wind turbine noise to run here. In her landmark decision last March, the judge held the noise levels amounted to 'unreasonable interference'. Last month, she said she would grant an injunction placing restrictions on the operation of the turbine and adjourned a hearing to assess damages for nuisance impact. In evidence on Wednesday, Mr Rollo said he was aged 41 when he and Ms Webster bought Hill House, he is now aged 51 living in rented accommodation. Ms Webster, aged 49, remains in Hill House with an outstanding mortgage of €140,000. Mr Rollo, whom the judge found suffered a depressive disorder due to the noise impact, said he had lost his home and relationship and chance to have a family. Hill House was 'a special place' and he wanted his new home to be like it. He disagreed with David Whelan SC, for the wind farm, that the damages sought would mean he and Ms Webster would get two properties, saying each would have 'a home'. He was open to Ms Webster buying out his share of Hill House. He agreed, despite the injunction to abate WTN, his separation meant he could not move back into Hill House. The noise caused that, he said. The judge was told valuation experts for the sides agreed Hill House had an open market valuation about €400,000 but disagreed about the valuation impact of the wind farm. A loss-adjustment expert for the plaintiffs said, based on current building and other costs, he believed in excess of €1 million would be required to reinstate Mr Rollo in a property similar to Hill House. Ross Shorten told the judge he and Ms Carthy had in 2021 sold their property near Ballyduff, for €295,000, plus €10,000 for the contents. They acquired it about 2003 with a view to relocating from Dublin, and it was never their full-time residence. They spent about €500,000 purchasing and carrying out works to it and their loss of value claim was for €195,000. He agreed with Mr Whelan they had not provided a valuation for the property in 2003 and previously put the property on the market in 2016 for €260,000. He considered a €318,000 valuation for the property in 2021, based on there being no wind farm nuisance, as 'very low'. The hearing continues on Thursday.
BBC News
10-06-2025
- BBC News
Hollingdean residents tormented by anti-social motorcycle riders
More than 100 complaints have been made about nuisance motorcycle riders disrupting residents in Brighton. People living in Hollingdean and surrounding areas have said anti-social riders not wearing helmets have been racing around the roads and pavements "most days" for the past three years, causing issues with noise into the Czolak, lead councillor for community safety at Brighton & Hove City Council (BHCC) said the noise and activity was "unacceptable" and he completely understood the "anger and frustration" of Police Insp Emma Gee told Radio Sussex the force was aware of the issues, and was prepared to make arrests and potentially seize vehicles. 'Street racers' The residents have described riders "covering their faces" and being "totally antisocial".Gabriel Tiranti, senior community engagement officer at BHCC, said despite the noise and dangerous driving "nothing has been done to resolve the problem".BHCC's housing panel is due to meet later on Tuesday to discuss the issue. Czolak said the council was arranging a meeting between residents and police to discuss the concerns."We'll be working with police and residents to explore all options to end this anti-social behaviour as quickly as possible," he Home Office announced last month that police would be given stronger powers to destroy vehicles within 48 hours to crack down on anti-social said: "Communities have become all too familiar with off-road bikes storming public parks and street racers charging through our roads - this must end."Insp Gee urged people to report any issues to the force and added: "We have the power to seize vehicles and we can report people so they can be charged. "It's about identifying those people."
