York starts trials of new goose poop equipment

This is part of a number of initiatives being put to the test to help develop a suitable long term strategy for the management of geese in the city.

The equipment consists of a trailer which can be attached to a small vehicle. This works by collecting goose faeces by breaking up and sweeping the mess into a large ‘catcher’. It is capable of cleaning an acre of land in 24 minutes.

Cllr Nigel Ayre, Executive Member for Culture, Leisure and Tourism said:

“Rather than side stepping the issue we’ve started testing a number of serious options to make our parks and open spaces more pleasant environments.

We know this issue isn’t going to go away overnight and we are looking at long-term solutions, but this equipment could be a good short term solution.”

Residents are still being advised to side step any issues until the machine has cleared a path.

Other trials and initiatives include appropriate fencing to protect flower beds and lawns, discouraging geese by ultrasound audio measures, investigating safe chemicals for geese mess dispersal, and increasing and renewing signage in public parks and open spaces to remind the public not to feed the geese.

Council to receive 100 page report on…

……….goose droppings

click to view

The York Council’s Executive will tomorrow Thursday decide what to do about the fouling caused by York’s Canada & Greylag Goose population.

There had been suggestions that a cull was needed although treatment of eggs has been an option for some time.

It is difficult to see the geese as a major issue in the City although they reputedly produce as much as 5 pounds of waste each day.

There is a goose dropping cleansing machine – invented not surprisingly in Canada – which could be used to clean parks and footpaths of all droppings. See demonstration video.

Ward Committees have funding available to use on local problems like these and so could hire in a machine periodically.

NB. The Executive will also consider removing the right to free home to school transport for some York children. The report on that item includes only 20 pages.

A plan that could see social care budgets cut by £1 million is covered in 90 pages

Stags, hens, geese and horses to be scrutinised by York Council

But still no sign of a review of basic service standards

The agenda for the Councils environment committee has been published.

After last months revelation that virtually no performance management information is being gathered by the York Council on services as basic as overgrown footpaths, damaged play equipment, fly posting and dog fouling, many would have expected that any so called “scrutiny committee” would promptly investigated the missing data.

It seems not, as the committee continues to sail safely within its comfort zone.

So they will be:

Considering an update on the “horse bailiff” service – 4 horses were seized last year when “fly grazing”. There have been no instances this year. The Council spends £40,000 a year on this service
Receiving a report from the “stag and hen party scrutiny review task group”. Among the, less than earth shattering, conclusions reached by the group were that stags/hens were only a small aspect of the drunken behaviour problem sometimes evident on the City centre, that the number of hens visiting the City outnumbered the stags (!), that lack of late night public toilet facilities is an issue and that work to draft an “alcohol strategy” had stalled.
Getting feedback from the Friends of Rowntree Park on “Goose Management”.

As the horse bailiff doesn’t appear to have much work to do, is it possible he will be used to seize any stags, hens or geese found fly grazing around the City?

The meeting will also consider a report on restrictions in the use of advertising “A” boards.

This has been on the Councils agenda for 15 years or more, but it became a more prominent issue three years ago. The Council is still trying to work out how an “A” board licensing system might be implemented. Progress is not expected until next year.

In the meantime the present free for all will continue.

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