Landmark hotel given go-ahead to deal with nesting bird nuisance

The Grand Hotel, built in 1867, was designed by Cuthbert Brodrick around a theme of "time" with its 365 rooms,12 floors and four large domes – representing the four seasons.

But hotel chiefs say the east (sea-facing) and northern elevations of the listed building have become an ideal nesting place for the birds.

The hotel has complained the birds return annually and remain for up to eight months, creating a general nuisance, and health and safety concerns.

Scarborough councillors were told the existing gull-proofing spikes have not prevented the birds from nesting and the owners wanted to take them down.

The plan is that protective wire netting would be attached to the building by a specialist rope access team.

Under the proposals, now approved by Scarborugh councillors who granted listed building consent, all nests from the walls facing north and east would be removed allowing the team to disinfect the areas covered in bird droppings..

Then the team would install the 50 millimetre grid bird proofing netting system.