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.
There are six properties within the Council’s Regeneration and Investment portfolios that have bird netting installed.

2.Bird Deaths & Trapped Birds:
- Number of dead birds found in netting each year: 0 in 2025
- Number of birds trapped in netting each year, broken down by species if recorded: The only reported incident we are aware of was in July 2025, of a Pigeon being trapped behind netting, but not in the netting. The Pigeon was released unharmed. We are not aware of any bird carcase removals in 2025. The only reported incident we are aware of was in July 2025 where a pigeon was found behind some netting. The bird was not trapped in the netting. The Pigeon was released unharmed. We are not aware of any bird carcase removals in 2025.
- How many trapped birds were dead vs rescued alive: The birds will be given a health checked and released if they are unharmed. Some birds may require medical attention.
- For any birds found alive: what happened to them (e.g., released, taken to vet/rescue, handed to contractor, culled): The Pigeon was released unharmed.
In 2025 we are aware of one alive bird being trapped we have received no reports of any dead birds in netting on our buildings.

3. Inspections & Maintenance:
- How often netting is inspected, repaired or replaced: Due to the way the netting is installed damage and repairs to the netting is minimal. Any repairs are undertaken on an ad hoc basis when despair is noted.
- How many reports of trapped birds the council receives each year: Just the one in 2025
- How often the council checks netting to ensure it is not harming birds: The properties are inspected monthly by our appointed managing agents. In addition to this there are weekly or monthly maintenance contractor’s visits.

4. Rationale & Alternatives:
- Reasons for using bird netting on council buildings: Bird netting is used on some commercial buildings with external service areas at high level to protect the plant and machinery that is installed. Air handling equipment must be kept clean to enable it to work efficiently.
- Whether alternatives were considered, and if so, which: Commercial building owners do not use bird netting to cover wide expanses anymore and now insist that the netting is kept to the minimum and in only used in localised areas that we are trying to protect the structurre of the building or external plant and machinery. There are organic and oil-based gels available on the market that emit ultraviolet light that birds See as fire, this works really well.

5. Costs:
- Annual spending on installation, maintenance, and repair of bird netting.
We do not budget for this. Once the netting is fitted the cost to maintain is minimal. Repairs are done a reactive basis.