Grandmother might be compelled out of her residence for feeding birds

A grandmother might be compelled out of her residence for feeding birds after neighbours have complained that the seed is attracting vermin.

Tracy O’Neill, 52, who is understood regionally as ‘The Bird Lady of Pennywell’, mentioned she is supporting wildlife and feeding her feathered pals twice per day helps her psychological well being. 

But housing affiliation, Gentoo, mentioned neighbours have complained that seed meant for the birds is attracting vermin, together with rats.

Ms O’Neill has now been issued with an official warning letter urging her to cease the feeding after there have additionally been different complaints.

The letter may pave the way in which for the grandmother’s housing state of affairs probably being introduced earlier than the courts.

She began feeding the birds with seed eight years in the past, after being identified with anxiousness and despair. It is an exercise that she enjoys together with her grandchildren, too.

Ms O’Neill mentioned: ‘I feed them within the morning after which at about 3.30 within the afternoon. I endure with anxiousness and despair and feeding the birds is my launch, it makes me really feel higher that I’m doing one thing to assist them.

‘I get pigeons, finches, sparrows and robins, and I simply love to take a seat again and watch them. I reside by myself and it makes me really feel much less remoted.

‘When my two grandchildren come to go to additionally they like to feed the birds.’

She has resided in her residence in Sunderland for 26 years and initially lived there as a baby earlier than transferring again later in life.

However, neighbours say the chicken seed is predominantly attracting pigeons and Gentoo mentioned it has acquired experiences of rats within the space.

Gentoo mentioned neighbours have reported harm to properties attributable to the pigeons, in addition to washing being ‘dirtied’ by the birds.

Ms O’Neill began to get complaints from neighbours final spring, and on September 20 was visited by a Gentoo officer.

The officer warned her to cease feeding the birds or threat being served with a ‘discover of searching for possession’ of the property if additional complaints have been acquired.

Gentoo mentioned Ms O’Neill has been visited by representatives on ‘a number of events to debate the state of affairs’. 

The 52-year-old mentioned: ‘As quickly as I am going out to feed the birds, I can see neighbours videoing me on their telephones.

‘We are suggested by consultants to feed the birds to assist them survive the winter months and to me it is simply nature.

‘The wildlife was right here earlier than us and with an increasing number of habitat being destroyed it is inevitable that birds and animals will find yourself in individuals’s gardens.

‘I really like animals and when I’ve seen any birds that are injured I’ve even taken them in to assist them get better.’

One of the important thing areas of the dispute is targeted on how the birds are being fed with Gentoo saying chicken seed is being discarded on the ground, probably attracting vermin.

The firm additionally mentioned representatives ‘inspired’ Ms O’Neill to make use of fats balls and chicken feeders.

Ms O’Neill mentioned: ‘Gentoo mentioned that feeding the birds on the bottom dangers attracting vermin, however I at all times put the meals on the chicken tables and feeders, not on the ground.’ After being given the verbal warning, Ms O’Neill admits she has continued to feed the birds.

She added: ‘If I ended feeding them then I’d really feel responsible about letting them down.

‘They arrive on the identical time, ready to be fed and even peck on my window when it is time to come out.

‘I simply do not get what all that is about. All I’m doing is feeding the birds, one thing which different individuals do, together with different individuals who reside on this road.

‘I simply assume it’s extremely unhappy that individuals don’t have anything higher to do than complain about me feeding the birds.’

On February 1, Ms O’Neill was left shocked when she acquired a letter from Gentoo informing her that your ‘landlord intends to start proceedings for possession of the property.’

The letter addressed from Gentoo mentioned she was being served a Section 8 discover as set out within the Housing Act 1988.

It acknowledged: ‘I enclose by the use of service upon you a Notice which is step one in direction of requiring you to surrender possession of your private home.

‘This discover tells you that your landlord intends to start proceedings for possession of the property. You ought to learn it fastidiously and search recommendation about your circumstances as shortly as potential.’

The cause for the discover was specified as breaking her tenancy settlement on the idea of ‘nuisance’ created by feeding pigeons.

Explaining the breach, the letter acknowledged: ‘You should present consideration in direction of your neighbours and the general public at giant, by not inflicting extreme noise or behaving in a approach which makes life disagreeable for others.’

The letter additionally cited earlier warnings given to Ms O’Neill.

It acknowledged: ‘On September 15 your landlord acquired quite a few complaints relating to you feeding pigeons, leading to nuisance being prompted.

‘On September 20 you have been visited by your landlord’s Neighbourhood Coordinator. It was famous that you simply had two giant baggage of birdseed within the passage. You have been suggested of the complaints acquired and requested to cease feeding the pigeons.

‘You have been warned that if additional complaints have been acquired it was the intention of your landlord to serve you with a discover of searching for possession as this was not the primary time you had been spoken to in respect of the problem.’

After studying the letter, Ms O’Neill mentioned she burst into tears and mentioned the discover has had a detrimental influence on her well being.

She mentioned: ‘Since getting the information my blood strain has gone by way of the roof and I’ve been prescribed further tablets from my GP.’

The discover doesn’t essentially imply Gentoo will start eviction proceedings towards Ms O’Neill, as this might be a subsequent course of involving taking her to court docket, with a choose finally ruling on the matter.

Within the letter, Ms O’Neill was knowledgeable she ‘may need’ to hunt recommendation from the Citizens Advice Bureau.

The letter, despatched on February 1, states that Gentoo now has 12 months to invoke court docket proceedings if it chooses to take action. Beyond this time the discover will lapse.

Gentoo say they’ve issued the discover as a ‘reminder’ to cease leaving unfastened chicken seed in her backyard and so they intend to help and work with Ms O’Neill ‘to make sure no additional motion is required’.

However the wording within the letter has nonetheless left Ms O’Neill fearful for the longer term.

However, after receiving complaints from neighbours, Gentoo careworn that ‘everybody has a fundamental proper to take pleasure in the place they reside and to not have their residence atmosphere affected by any type of misery and nuisance’.

The spokesperson added: ‘We’ve acquired quite a few complaints from individuals residing close by who say the actions of this buyer in consistently leaving out unfastened chicken seed in her backyard has attracted undesirable vermin to the world in numbers.

‘We’ve been coping with this explicit subject for greater than six months and have visited the client on a number of events to debate the state of affairs and attempt to resolve the matter to everybody’s satisfaction

‘Gentoo colleagues have spoken to the client on many events to politely ask that she stops doing this because it’s inflicting a critical nuisance to neighbours. Sadly, these requests have been to no avail.

‘We’ve additionally acquired experiences of pigeons inflicting harm to a different property. Rats have been reported many occasions resulting from unfastened chicken seed being ignored and lots of neighbours additionally complain about their washing ceaselessly being dirtied by pigeons.

‘On prime of this, guttering of the properties can also be getting blocked and must be cleaned.

‘We know individuals prefer to feed birds and that is why we inspired the client to make use of chicken feeders and fats balls with a view to proceed feeding smaller, wild birds as this technique wouldn’t appeal to pigeons, gulls and rats in the way in which that leaving out unfastened chicken seed does.

‘However, we then acquired additional complaints lower than every week later. This is a recurring drawback for residents within the space and we now have an obligation and duty to answer the problems they’ve raised.

‘We’ve since written to the client and reminded her to cease leaving unfastened chicken seed in her backyard as it’s attracting vermin and inflicting upset to others.’