I live in a row of houses that back onto a farmer’s field.
We live in a farming area and do accept that there will be occasional downside to the advantages because farmers do have challenging issues to cope with to produce our food.
This year the farmer has placed bird scarers in this field and the operation of them does not comply with NFU code of practice.
Some of these recommendations state that they should not be used on a Sunday, should not be set to fire before 7am, there should be a maximum of four an hour, and the must be sited 220 yards from residential properties.
These bangs have been going on seven days a week and have started even on a Sunday at 6.20am and go on until 10pm.
They fire far more that four times an hour and with the prevailing winds the sounds are louder. One is far closer than it should be to the houses.
I did contact South Holland District Council to ask them to contact the farmer and ask him to adjust the times.
I know birds don’t know the day of the week, or the time of day, but so many residents have found the explosive sounds at random minutes very disruptive.
The response I had was less than helpful. I was told it would stop in a few days – it didn’t.
I was given arguments supporting the farmer, not understanding how unsettling it is to have this noise from early morning to late evening for weeks.
We do support farmers, but the noise is unreasonable.
NFU produce guidelines for a reason.
The only place we could go to for help backed off.
Is it little people against big yet again?
Alan Floyd
Falklands Road
Sutton Bridge
