Pigeons are causing more and more nuisance in the northern part of the Emmer center. To the horror of local residents and shopkeepers, they defecate on balconies, laundry and facades underneath.
The Emmer council members heard this on Tuesday evening from Dennis de Jong, resident of an apartment complex on Weerdingerstraat. According to him, the pigeon plague has been there since the middle of last year. He fears that the number of pigeons will be expanded even further in the coming breeding season and called on the municipality of Emmen to enter into discussions with Lefier. This is the housing association that rents out quite a few apartments in the area.
According to De Jong, between twenty and forty pigeons live in the Noorderplein-Derksstraat-Weerdingerstraat area. The problem has been raised with Lefier, but according to De Jong he refuses to take action. “Lefier says she is not allowed to do anything at all, but does not indicate who would allow her to do anything.” In the neighborhood, consideration is being given to placing pins on roofs, window sills, balconies and balustrades. Hiring a falconer is also seen as an option.
Alarm pistol
According to De Jong, these measures are being pushed aside by Lefier because they are said to be unfriendly to animals. “And while the Netherlands Bird Protection Society indicates that these types of measures against pigeons may simply be taken. In short, Lefier does nothing at all and residents and entrepreneurs have to solve it themselves.”
De Jong urgently appealed to the Emmer municipal council to enter into discussions with the management of Lefier. “We can’t get any further. Lefier is a major powerhouse. A major power body must be set against this, the municipality of Emmen. “Because no one should think about citizens poisoning pigeons or chasing them away with an alarm gun just to get rid of a pigeon plague.”
‘You can do anything’
Noorderplein is the place where the king and his family will start their walk through the Emmer center on King’s Day this year. “The royal family in Emmen covered in pigeon droppings. You shouldn’t want that,” said De Jong. Councilor Jan Bos (Wakker Emmen) speaks of an ‘annoying situation’. “You are not allowed to do everything with such a problem, but you are allowed to do something. We are going to contact people from Lefier to talk to them.”
A Lefier spokesperson contacted by Dagblad van het Noorden on Tuesday evening says that the corporation is aware and that pins have already been placed. “Furthermore, we cannot do much about pigeons in a city center. Most solutions are quite animal unfriendly. The question is whether you should want that and whether that is a task for a housing association.”