Belton Parish Council, together with Great Yarmouth Borough Council, is considering the installation of signs in the village to discourage the public from feeding gulls, following complaints about the birds causing significant mess in the Bracon Road area.
At a recent parish council meeting, concerns were raised after a member of the public reported that feeding gulls was leading to considerable dirt on vehicles and property. The presence of the birds has been particularly noted in Bracon Road, a residential area within the village.
One local resident, who chose to remain anonymous, described the situation, saying: “We do not want stupid people feeding the seagulls in this village, otherwise, they will take over. In Great Yarmouth, seagulls are a huge problem because they are feasting on all the litter, and some of them are like pterodactyls, for those who know their dinosaurs. So it’s hardly a surprise that the birds are here since Gorleston and Yarmouth are just down the road. I think putting signs up won’t solve the issue because people don’t listen, but hopefully it won’t carry on.”
A woman living near Bracon Road also shared her experience with the birds, noting their noisy behaviour. “They are very noisy birds, I am no expert, but they seem like clever things. I hadn't noticed them too much when they are just flying around, but it is fairly common to see a group of them all fighting over rubbish, and this is when you hear them. It is quite a racket, a distinctive and deafening sound, that they make.”
The village of Belton lies approximately four and a half miles from the coast, which allows gulls, known to inhabit urban regions, to travel inland. The gull species most adapted to living in these environments include herring gulls, great black-backed gulls, and lesser black-backed gulls. These birds often nest on rooftops and are attracted to urban locations due to fewer natural predators and steady food supplies.
Gulls are opportunistic feeders; their diet predominantly consists of fish, molluscs, and invertebrates, but they are also known to consume discarded human food. This adaptability has led to their increasing presence in towns and villages near the coast, where they exploit food sources such as litter and intentional feeding by residents.
The Eastern Daily Press is reporting that local authorities are currently evaluating the best way to manage the growing gull population and associated challenges in the Belton area. The proposed signage is part of a wider effort to mitigate the issues caused by gulls, which have also been prominent in nearby coastal towns like Great Yarmouth and Gorleston.
Source: Noah Wire Services