Pigeon clean up underway at an Isle of Wight town hall amid health fears
A company in West Sussex has been given a £30,000 contract to shoo them away and clear up the mess left behind
Last updated 16th Oct 2023
A West Sussex company has been given a £30,000 contract to shoo away pigeons from an Isle of Wight town hall and clean up the mess they have left behind, amid health fears.
The project to remove the ‘extensive’ pigeon infestation and years’ worth of excrement has already started at Sandown Town Hall, ahead of its £3.1 million regeneration into a youth centre and houses.
It will ensure safe access to the Grade II listed building although the inaccessible loft will not be part of the clean-up – that will be tackled at the same time as repairs to the ceiling and roof.
With the building standing empty since 2017, when its last tenants moved out, between 30 and 50 pigeons have been able to get into the building and roam freely.
Rentokil Pest Control in Crawley, has been given £32,187 to remove the birds over the next few weeks, from the building in the heart of the town.
Any injured pigeons unable to leave on their own will be ‘humanely’ killed.
The Isle of Wight Council has been given cash from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to deliver a new youth community programme, based at the town hall, which will help more than 200 young people a week.