Councillors to debate £120,000 seagull plans
It's for Scarborough and Whitby
Last updated 30th Jun 2026
A new £119,000 seagull strategy, to protect public health in North Yorkshire, is set to be debated by councillors.
It comes as a council has been urged to speed up plans for weekly food waste collections, to stop gulls attacking bin bags.
The proposal is part of a £119,000 urban gull strategy for Scarborough and Whitby, which includes investment in education campaigns, gull-proof rubbish bags, plus new and retrofitted litter bins.
North Yorkshire Council is not set to start separate household food waste collections until 2043, but councillors have suggested a pilot programme for coastal areas.
However, before the seagull strategy can be approved by council bosses, an overview and scrutiny committee will examine the proposal.
Members of the public have been invited to contribute to the meeting in Northallerton on Monday, July 6, at 10am.
According to a report prepared for next week’s meeting, the council anticipates that a full review of the Urban Gull Study and Strategy will take place in 2030.
Speaking earlier this month, NYC environmental protection officer Tim Croot said any strategy needed to “take account of the needs of the birds as much as the needs of people”.
”The strategy from the very outset aimed to try and create some cohesion where we could have co-existence and acceptance of the birds,” he said.
”It is their coast as much as it is the humans’ coast.”
He said the method used by Scarborough Borough Council – which was amalgamated into North Yorkshire Council in 2023 – such as netting and spikes “wasn’t terribly successful”.
The key pillars of the new strategy – which is currently a theoretical document – are focused on waste and rubbish, cleaning and jet washing, targeted proofing, monitoring and planning.
“While gulls, in particular Herring Gulls and Kittiwakes, are a valued part of coastal biodiversity, their increasing presence in urban areas has led to significant issues including noise, fouling, aggressive behaviour (human/gull contact), and overall public health concerns,” the strategy states.
Council bosses are set to decide on the strategy at a meeting in August.