Canterbury pigeons are delighted with their £9.2 million home in Station Road West.
Ledges created by the steel support beams in the council’s new multi-storey car park provide a perfect roosting spot, sheltered from the wind and the rain. As no nesting deterrents have been installed, the car park is proving immensely popular with Canterbury’s pigeon community who have taken residence in large numbers.
On current trends, the resident pigeon population will soon be greater than the number of parked cars.
Pigeon droppings can be a source of serious disease in humans, as well as attracting rats. Droppings are also acidic and can easily cause expensive damage to cars if not removed promptly. Drivers are advised to avoid parking in areas under the ceiling support beams where the birds are nesting.
Lib Dem vice chair Alex Lister said: “this project has been a joke from start to finish.
“Nobody wanted the car park in the first place, and now the only ones really benefitting are the pigeons. Given the sorry state of the council’s finances, that £9.2 million could have come in really useful during the pandemic.
“In the meantime, we’ve reported the issue to the council’s maintenance people. I advise anyone using the car park to avoid parking under any of the girders until it’s fixed unless you fancy a costly paint repair job.”
Cllr Michael Dixey added: “this kind of problem is annoying and avoidable, but we don’t have to live with it. If you’ve noticed something in your area, please get in touch via the Canterbury Lib Dem website and we’ll look into it for you.”
Posted by Alex Lister
Alex grew up in Canterbury. He is lead governor of the East Kent Hospitals Trust, vice chair of the local Liberal Democrat Party and vice chair of CHEK - the campaign group for a new hospital in Canterbury
See all posts by Alex