Message of concern

T_T · February 16, 2006

Read in this weeks BHW, a fancier reporting in the letters column that he is being summoned to court on 3/2/06 after defying notice from the local planning department to get rid of his pigeons and to remove the lofts. His neighbour had complained of the noise, nuisance and general disturbance. What next ?

We had another of our Forum members who mentioned someone undergoing the same treatment ( can't remember the name ) I wonder how he got on.

This guy is seeking support and asking if you have any suggestions, could you phone him on 028 7082 3173 or mail him on mickeymuffins@hotmail.co.uk

If he is another one that loses this, it opens the door wide for more of us getting the same treatment.

Maybe then we'll complain of the neighbours dog barking all day long or the sweet sounding canaries making too much song. Sad, Sad, people.

February 16, 2006

I got a letter from the local council telling me I had to remove my lofts last year on April 1st. Had me sh--ting myself as I had only recently put the lofts up and got the OBs settled. So I rang up to see what I could do and on the other end of the phone was my dad, laughing his t-ts off. Didnt even enter my mind that it was an aprils fool.

February 16, 2006

I had this problem 5 years ago, a woman from planning came out and measured my loft (20'x6') and she said it was fine as it was more than 5 metres from the house!

carl · February 16, 2006

I got a letter from the local council telling me I had to remove my lofts last year on April 1st. Had me sh--ting myself as I had only recently put the lofts up and got the OBs settled. So I rang up to see what I could do and on the other end of the phone was my dad, laughing his t-ts off. Didnt even enter my mind that it was an aprils fool.

thats a good idea i shall remember that one.

THE FIFER · February 16, 2006

these are definately cases for the unions and their lawyers, and members should stand by any genuine fancier in those situations and call on action from the unions.

PS. not the April fool one!! that's up to the fancier himself to deal with HA HA HA,

February 16, 2006

Read in this weeks BHW, a fancier reporting in the letters column that he is being summoned to court on 3/2/06 after defying notice from the local planning department to get rid of his pigeons and to remove the lofts.

We had another of our Forum members who mentioned someone undergoing the same treatment ( can't remember the name ) I wonder how he got on.
This guy is seeking support

Seems he's left it a tad late but I would still advise him to contact the BHW planning expert 'scribe' Ronald Shirley urgently (a member of Synwell club in Gloucestershire. An architect in private practice, for over 30 years, he specialises in planning appeals and planning law) maybe get his contact details from BHW?

The post I think you're referring to was from Gez?

February 16, 2006

yeah it was from me, the man in question was given 3 weeks to get rid of his birds and loft. has since moved some of his biords to a fanciers loft (this fancier moved house a few years back but his loft was still at his mums in a field) so he klindly lrt this fancier put his birds there. it isnt big enough for all but is a help.

February 17, 2006

yeah it was from me, the man in question was given 3 weeks to get rid of his birds and loft.

Can you give a little info on what was said in (court?) Gez, and the reasons the birds had to go? Might help set us on course for getting squeaky clean, or whatever else needs to be done to stop these 'evictions' ?

February 17, 2006

never went to court, im not sure on the full facts havent spoke to the bloke in question personally for 2 weeks as soon as i find out facts will post them. all i know is it was proved that this next door neighbour had become ill from the pigeons and it was 'life threating'. he could have took it to court but would have cost him loads.council(enviromental health) came round another good friend of mine was in court end of last year and one of the point his next door neighbour was making was the pigeon and it has cost him £60,000+ now and still more lawer bills coming through and there was no winner in the end really.

l will post more as soon as i know more

February 17, 2006

I had problems too: Used to live in Larkhall, Lanarkshire in early 1970's and after having my face bitten-off by the neighbours when I mentioned I'd like to keep a few pigeons, set up in an old railway yard about a mile from home. 'Suffered' this for about a year and then said to meself, stuff this, I pay my mortgage and rates NOT them, got a little 8' x 6' loft erected in my tiny back garden and moved 12 pigeons into it on the Saturday and the man from the council was at my door on the Monday.

Was called to council hearing around a month later .. 3 sets of neighbours present .. meeting lasted less than 5 minutes when council chairman said just one thing: nothing we can do to stop (me) keeping pigeons.

February 17, 2006

i thgink the thing that killed trhis one was the wrds 'life threating'

any way im off to bed now. wrk in mrning.

February 17, 2006

The story of how I got back into pigeons is down to a chance discussion with one of my present neighbours. Happened to mention now that I'd time on my hands I'd like to keep a few pigeons but my back garden was just too small for a loft. She said why don't you keep them in the garage? (I don't drive, don't have a car but have two garages in the back garden.)

So that set me evil mind spinning, and having read our man Shirley's BHW articles, wrote to the local council enclosing a drawing of the house, garages and garden boundaries, and asked for planning permission to keep around 20 pigeons in part of the garage.

Reply came back ... NO PLANNING PERMISSION REQUIRED TO KEEP PIGEONS WITHIN AN EXISTING BUILDING.

So there's a loft there ... but you'd be hard pressed to spot it!!! Well camouflaged and blends in perfectly with all the other properties.

February 18, 2006

Bit of balance: Indirect experience of a council forcing a friend to remove his birds.

My family moved home from a tenement flat in the Calder Road to a council house in Beechwood Gardens, Mossend in 1962. There was already a loft of pigeons there, belonging to a near neighbour, Mr Maxwell (this was his mums address) so there didn't appear to be any problem keeping pigeons there ... for us at least.

Within weeks of moving his loft to his own back garden a few doors down on the other side of the street , the council told him to remove the birds as a neighbour had complained. He never found out who the neighbour was or what the complaint was, but he gave up the birds. His loft was only around 10/12 feet, painted green, very tidy and what we termed in those days 'joiner built'. It remained up for a few more years, but empty.