Seagull bag scheme gets underway

Homes in Eastcliff in Ramsgate are starting a major new trial of seagull proof bags, in a bid to improve the cleanliness of their streets.

The idea came from the local PACT (Partners and Communities Together), residents’ groups and ward councillors, who wanted to put a stop to seagull attacks on rubbish put out in the area. As a result, the seagull proof bags, made out of polypropylene, which will protect the black sacks, have been delivered to homes, with the scheme due to start from Wednesday 3 March.

A total of around 250 homes in Augusta Road, Augusta Place, Artillery Road, Arklow Square, Shaftsbury Street, Waterloo Place, Irchester Street and Balmoral Place will be taking part in the trial, which will run until 30 September and will cover the seagull breeding season during the spring and summer months.

Homes have received one seagull proof bag free of charge, which can hold around two or three black rubbish sacks. These should be tied securely at the top and then put into the seagull proof sack. The lid of this sack needs to be closed correctly or the seagulls may still be able to attack the rubbish inside. Any waste put loose into the seagull proof bag or left outside of it will not be collected. People will need to put out their seagull proof bag on their day of collection at the front of their property by 6am.

As well as aiming to cut the amount of rubbish caused by seagulls splitting black rubbish sacks, the trial also aims to see how easy residents find using the bag and whether any improvements can be made.

Cllr. Shirley Tomlinson, Cabinet Member for Environmental Services, said: “Residents in Eastcliff came to us with the idea of the seagull proof bag and now they’re about to start trying it out to see how well it works. Seagulls are a menace in this area, particularly during the breeding season and they were one of the main reasons that we first introduced wheeled bins to Thanet, to try and stop them attacking waste. However, there are a number of areas across our district that aren’t suitable for wheeled bins, so we need to look at other possible solutions. It will be interesting to see how well this scheme works over the next few months and what we can learn from it. Most of all, we will wait to see if these bags do stop the seagulls!”

At the end of the trial, it will be reviewed to see how well it has worked, whether it has helped to keep the streets cleaner and whether it represents good value for money for the council. A decision will then be taken on whether to continue with it and whether to expand it into other areas, if it is successful.