The keeping of pigeons is a popular hobby in many parts of the City but the traditional tall narrow pigeon lofts can be very obtrusive when erected in the gardens of houses. Pigeon lofts nearly always require planning permission and, when dealing with planning applications for the erection of a loft in a garden, the Council will apply the following policy. This aims to strike a balance between the wish of a householder to pursue a hobby and preserving the residential amenity of neighbours.

REQUIREMENT FOR PLANNING PERMISSION

Planning permission is always required for the erection of a pigeon loft on open ground or within the garden of a flatted property such as a 4-in-a-block. Within the garden of a house, such as a terraced house or a semi-detached, a pigeon loft is treated in the same way as a garage or a greenhouse and may require planning permission.

Pigeon lofts should be:

(a) sited a minimum distance of six metres from the nearest house;

(b) similar in size and appearance to traditional garden sheds;

(c) approximately 2.5 x 2.0 x 2.5 metres in size; and

(d) sited behind the building line and preferably within the rear garden area.

On open ground, applications for lofts will be considered on their merits with specific regard being paid to future proposals for the site, its prominence and condition and the appearance and scale of the loft itself.