Scarborough councillor's praise for cleaners tackling gull mess on streets

The authority has hired a new high-pressure washer to clean the foul-smelling discharge from the high street following complaints from residents, businesses and councillors.

Cllr Tony Randerson, the authority’s cabinet member for Neighbourhoods, said the borough’s street cleaners had been doing a “cracking job” using the hot water cleaning machine the authority had recently secured the use of.

He said: “Stopping the seagull mess at source is high on my agenda now by securing the ledges in these locations from nesting gulls.

“But I personally am well pleased with the standard of cleansing now.

“This equipment will be utilised all year round and not just for the summer months in order to ensure the street scene is pleasing to the eye.”

Cllr Randerson tested out the equipment himself this morning as he went out with the authority’s street cleaning team.

The council’s Conservative opposition had recently called out the authority for the state of Scarborough’s streets, some of which were stained white with gull droppings.

The shadow cabinet said that residents had complained about the smell and potential hazard to pedestrians the amount of droppings could pose.

Concerned locals even went as far as to start a petition calling on the council to hand over street cleaning to a private firm that had been washing areas for free during the pandemic.

Last week, Scarborough Council announced the launch of a new initiative to help to prevent gulls from nesting in the first place.

The council has opened a grant funding scheme to assist private building owners and tenants with the cost of purchasing and installing gull proofing material.

The council will contribute 50%, up to a maximum of £2,000, towards the costs of gull proofing any private buildings in defined areas of Filey, Scarborough and Whitby.

Maps of the eligible areas and an application form for match funding are available to download at scarborough.gov.uk/seagulls or by emailing

[email protected].

Anyone without internet access can call 01723 232322.

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