Work carried out at a South Cumbrian fast food restaurant without planning permission to deter birds has been approved.
McDonald’s in Ulverston installed netting on the roof and spikes on ledges and signs to stop birds causing damage at a cost of £16,300.
A report submitted by food safety company Ecolab to South Lakeland District Council said silver-lined insulation on rooftop machinery at the site would be attractive to birds such as crows and magpies.
It said, without preventative measures, the birds would have caused damage ‘leading to thousands of pounds in repairs in the long-term’.
The report said the restaurant at Oubas Hill, which opened in May, would have become a nesting ground for scavenging birds – such as gulls and pigeons – attracted by discarded food.
The accumulation of bird-related debris, it said, would have led to infestations of insects, the promotion of disease, damage to the building and a “risk of ensuing third-party litigation if a member of staff suffers an injury due to the slippery toxic bird fouling”.
Netting was attached to the roof and the uppermost ledges of the building to prevent birds perching and roosting.
The Ecolab report said a survey of the site revealed the presence of swallows.
It recommended the waste area be guarded against any entry by swallows, which are a protected species.
Around 250m of spikes have been installed along the lower ledges and signs of the new restaurant to stop birds from roosting.
The scheme drew criticism from the boss of a south Cumbria bird sanctuary when it was first announced.
“Birds do get impaled on spikes,” said Elisabeth Ashleigh, who runs Bardsea Bird Santuary with daughter Tamsin. “Whatever kind of mesh they use, they do get their feet trapped.”
Ms Ashleigh felt that birds should not be deterred from the building. “It’s the people that leave rubbish around, that don’t put their rubbish in the bin properly, it’s them that need educating,” she said. “Birds don’t pose a threat at all.”
