Use of Bird Netting on Council Buildings (Past 5 Years)
Case reference FOI2025/02094
Received 13 November 2025
Published 18 March 2026
Request
Please provide the following information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, covering the past five years (2019–2024) or as many years as data is available:
1.Buildings:
- Number of council-owned/managed buildings with bird netting installed.
2.Bird Deaths & Trapped Birds:
- Number of dead birds found in netting each year.
- Number of birds trapped in netting each year, broken down by species if recorded.
- How many trapped birds were dead vs rescued alive.
- For any birds found alive: what happened to them (e.g., released, taken to vet/rescue, handed to contractor, culled).
3.Inspections & Maintenance:
- How often netting is inspected, repaired or replaced.
- How many reports of trapped birds the council receives each year.
- How often the council checks netting to ensure it is not harming birds.
4.Rationale & Alternatives:
- Reasons for using bird netting on council buildings.
- Whether alternatives were considered, and if so, which.
5.Costs:
- Annual spending on installation, maintenance, and repair of bird netting.
Response
I can confirm that the Council hold some of the information requested regarding bird netting and we would respond as follows:
1.Buildings:
- Number of council-owned/managed buildings with bird netting installed.
6.
2.Bird Deaths & Trapped Birds:
- Number of dead birds found in netting each year.
- Number of birds trapped in netting each year, broken down by species if recorded.
- How many trapped birds were dead vs rescued alive.
- For any birds found alive: what happened to them (e.g., released, taken to vet/rescue, handed to contractor, culled).
Information not held.
3.Inspections & Maintenance:
- How often netting is inspected, repaired or replaced.
- How many reports of trapped birds the council receives each year.
- How often the council checks netting to ensure it is not harming birds.
Netting is inspected annually for repair and maintenance. All sites where netting is present have people onsite daily who report through any issues. The Council does not record reports of trapped birds.
4.Rationale & Alternatives:
- Reasons for using bird netting on council buildings.
- Whether alternatives were considered, and if so, which.
Four buildings have netting around the base of solar panels to stop birds from becoming trapped beneath them. The two other buildings have netting to stop bird mess in public areas where pigeons are problematic. We have two other buildings where imitation birds of prey have been set up as a deterrent.
5.Costs:
- Annual spending on installation, maintenance, and repair of bird netting.
2024-25 spend was £2,772.00.
Documents
This is Guildford Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
You can browse our other responses or make a new FOI request.