'Don't put rubbish out early, it attracts gulls'
THE BATTLE of the gulls continues unabated, with North Devon Council wading into the rubbish problem.
Seagulls have long been a scourge in the town, ripping open bin bags and leaving their contents strewn across the roads.
Greensweep staff joined forces with Ilfracombe's Transform staff to knock on doors and ask residents how they can help with the situation.
The three-week campaign centred on problem hotspots including Oxford Grove and High Street.
Ilfracombe district councillor Paul Yabsley is the lead member for waste and recycling. He said: "Many people put out their waste and recycling the evening before their collection.
"This wouldn't normally be a problem. But in Ilfracombe, waste is often targeted by seagulls, which means some streets are left littered with rubbish before our teams even get to them."
He said doorstep advice had included information about discounted Gull Gards which residents can buy or putting a blanket over their rubbish bags to deter the birds.
Ilfracombe Street Reps have also been campaigning long and hard against the menace of gulls and were involved in the pilot scheme to introduce Gull Gards.
Chairman Kim Fuller said: "It's all common sense really. Remember that the bins are collected a day late after a Bank Holiday, so don't put them out on the usual day, because they will be out there for longer.
"Another thing we'd like to see stopped is rubbish being put in public bins.
"People put carrier bags full of domestic rubbish, including food waste in the public bins and the seagulls just rip them to bits.
"We've found that the gulls have got wise to the use of sheets and blankets and just pull them off, but if you are using blankets please take them in.
"If people leave them on the doorstep they get wet and filthy dirty and can be dangerous. So we would ask people to take them in."
The council also provided recycling boxes, bags, wheelie bins and kitchen caddies to households who asked for them.
Anyone who would like further advice about waste and recycling can email a query to: greensweepdirect@northdevon.gov.uk or phone 01271-374776.
Comments
by 5 children In A 4Th Floor 2 Bed Flat, Ilfracombe High Street
Thursday, August 26 2010, 8:27PM
“when are the council going to get it through their thick heads that even with weekly collections there are load's of people living in small flats with children and nowhere to store pushchairs let alone rubbish, yet behind the entire high street and oxford grove are lanes and locations where the large black skip type bins can be placed ending the rubbish problem, slade have these bins and guess what, dump as it is, it isnt covered in rubbish every week.
There is no point in the council wynging at people every week, we pay you to do something about it, the only reason we wait untill the night before is because of the scavenger "green sweep police" otherwise we wouldn't be storing a weeks rubbish in our bathroom, it would be dumped in the street.
The council doesn't like the groccles seeing the dump of ilfracombe and the rubbish in the street, well, start thinking about how the people who have to live in it feel and get the message, when people are forced to live in it because you wont sort it out, they really dont give a S*** what the street looks like on bin day.
Its the same old story, the council wants more money for less "service" and then want's to blame the people when its a S***hole.
Get stuffed.”