A Keysoe resident has been ordered to reduce the “extraordinary number” of pigeons they kept at their home, a meeting heard.
Members of Bedford Borough Council’s Planning Committee (15 July) heard that during the last quarter (April to June 2024) there had been a “number of appeals of note”.
Alastair Wren, team leader – appeals and enforcement, gave a “longstanding” Enforcement Notice appeal as an example.
“The council served an Enforcement Notice on 4 Mill Hill, Keysoe in October 2021 relating to the material change of use of the land from a dwellinghouse to a mixed-use as a dwellinghouse and for the keeping of pigeons,” he said.
“Up to 250 pigeons were being kept at the site which comprises a fairly modest domestic property with neighbouring dwellings on either side.
“The Inspector considered that 250 pigeons was an extraordinary number to be kept at the site given its context, and determined that the keeping of pigeons at this scale went beyond something incidental to the enjoyment of the dwellinghouse.
“The inspector, therefore, upheld the Enforcement Notice,” he said.
“As uses incidental to the enjoyment of the dwellinghouse (such as the keeping of pigeons in reasonable numbers as a hobby) are lawful, the number of pigeons at the site will need to be reduced to a number which the council considers meets this provision.
“The Inspector declined to specify an arbitrary number leaving that to the council to determine based on the site-specific circumstances,” he said.
By John Guinn
Local Democracy Reporter
