Agenda item

Dave Meigh, Head of Parks and Open Spaces, will give an update on the goose management in Rowntree Park

6                    Cllr Gunnell passed on apologies for Dave Meigh, Head of Parks and Open Spaces for City of York Council. Mike Heyworth from Friends of Rowntree Park was able to update due to the groups involvement and previous meetings with Dave Meigh.

6.1Mike Heyworth stated that although he could update it wasn’t an endorsement of the councils Goose Management policy and it wasn’t reflecting his personal view or the view of the Friends of Rowntree.

6.2Pressure from Friends of Rowntree Park has helped bring about the independent study into Goose Management.

6.3The current policy is to stop the numbers of geese increasing in the park.

6.4Egg treatment is the method used, although problems come about when nests aren’t found, shown this year by the number of goslings in the park.

6.5The independent report carried out by an international expert will be available on the council website.

6.6There are four methods outlined by the report to be looked into, these are

6.6.1       Continue the present method but try to find nesting sites missed this breeding season.

6.6.2       Education of the public, to discourage feeding of the geese as it only encourages them and bread is an unnatural food source for them.

6.6.3       Habitat management, changes to the environment to make it less appealing to the geese. These could be changes to the grass growing in the park, spraying of chemicals to discourage the geese eating the grass or breaking lines of sight with fences and/or hedges.

6.6.4       Deterrents, various methods to make the geese nervous. These could be dogs to chase the geese scaring them off, use of lasers to make the geese uncomfortable. Repeat treatments would be needed to make these a success.

6.7Cllr Merrett pointed out that the time it has taken to get to this stage has been disappointing long but the ward committee support the fact that action has to be taken. New signage in the park has been funded by the ward committee to educate park users on the implications of feeding the geese bread, in order to reduce the practice.

6.8A consultation about Goose management was suggested, the summer ward committee was suggested as a suitable new date. This will give residents the chance to raise concerns or queries.

6.9The historic nature of Rowntree Park means that some methods of management are ruled out.

6.10   The use of different grasses in the park and scare techniques using dogs to chase the geese are potential methods being looked at.

Residents were given the chance to ask questions in relation to Goose Management. The following were raised

6.11                     Q- Will treating the geese have an affect on ducks?

A – This would depend on the methods used, some potentially could.

6.12                     Q- Could signage be made to outline the aggressiveness of the geese, many people can be intimidated by them in nesting season?

A – This would have to be fed to Dave Meigh, for future signage.

6.13                     Q- Are school visits possible to out educate children on the feeding of geese?

A – This would have to be looked into but possibly not.

Cllr Gunnell outlined that the usage of the park has changed over a number of year. Sadly the number of people using the park has decreased, due to the number of geese living in the park. A push from the ward committee will be made to get this crucial work prioritised.