Pigeon mess from tree on Aylesbury street is '˜breaching human rights'

Now an application has gone in to remove the mature lime tree in Rivets Close, which is subject to a preservation order.

In a statement to planners at Aylesbury Vale District Council, Alex Peacock, of Peacock Tree Ecology in Tring, who is agent for the applicant, said: “There is excessive bird mess being dropped on to the parked vehicles below which is damaging the paintwork and causing a health hazard. The honeydew sap is also damaging the paintwork to vehicles and causing maintenance issues with the staining on the block paving and windows.

He added: “There is significant tension between the residents, neighbours and property owners regarding this tree. Alternatives (eg parking down the road and car covers) have been tried and failed. This is a last resort, and not a decision that has been taken lightly. As a tree professional I agree with the residents, I feel it is unreasonable to expect people to live under these conditions, and that in this instance there is little alternative other than to remove and replace the tree.”

Landlord Paul Luckett, of Bierton, is making the application on behalf of his tenant in Rivets Close who says her life is being made a misery by the birds.

She said her car ‘is constantly covered in the pigeon dropping often all over my door handles so I have to spend extra time cleaning this off before I can even get into my car to go to work, which on times has made me late as there is so much mess on the car to clean off’.

She feels ‘this is breaching my human rights for the protection of my property (my car) and my health’. The mess has depreciated the value of her car by ruining the paintwork.

“And regards to my health having to clean it off my car every day, I have read up on this and the droppings carry diseases which can be harmful to humans.”

The tenant added: “I purchased a car cover, the following morning I went out to take it off to go to work it was covered in pigeon droppings. I started a take the cover off, the wind caught hold of the cover [and] it blew over me covering me and my work uniform in the pigeon droppings so I had to go and have a shower and change my uniform which made me late once again.”

Mr Peacock added that ‘Mr Luckett understands the importance of trees in the urban environment and so has suggested we replant this tree with two replacements (one Cypress Oak either side of the Lime).

“The Cypress Oaks will provide screening once they are established, but due to their slender growth habit, they will not encroach over the parking bays and buildings. Alternatively, Mr Luckett is prepared to plant a replacement Lime tree within the park land opposite (far enough away from the house for it not to be a future problem).”

The application will be decided on a future date.