/ 3 October 2006

Parliamentarians lay plans to oust Prudence and Polly

Prudence and Polly the pigeons are blissfully unaware that they are at the centre of the latest political storm to hit Scotland’s Parliament.

The birds go about their business of pecking and eating in their nest in the canopy above the main entrance of the iconic building in Scotland’s capital. Inside, lawmakers are locked in a wrangle over plans to spend £250 ($466) to evict them from their home — and into a bird sanctuary 160km away.

Having cost £431-million ($804-million) and completed in 2004, the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh should be one of the most secure buildings in Europe. But the enterprising squatters managed to bypass elaborate defences of spikes and nets to set up home at the heart of Scottish democracy.

Prudence and Polly enjoy one of the swankiest addresses in the Scottish capital. The Parliament is situated at the bottom of Edinburgh’s historic Royal Mile directly opposite the Queen’s official Scottish residence, the Palace of Holyrood House.

Security guards at the Parliament have been asked to warn visitors about the risk of being hit by pigeon droppings.

Officials at the building have considered a number of options to get rid of the birds including shooting them, scaring them away or delicately removing them.

The Scottish media have been quick to swoop in on the plight of the birds — humanising them with the names Prudence and Polly — after one lawmaker suggested a more primitive means of dealing with them: ”For £250 a bird, I will personally wring their necks myself,” Independent Member of the Scottish Parliament Margot MacDonald told the Daily Record.

The problem is that the glass roof of the award winning building is very complicated and is in the shape of a number of upturned boats, making access to the roof difficult.

Elaine Mitchell, a spokesperson for the Scottish Parliament, said specialist pest control was required. While there is an arrangement to remove pigeons at £250 ($469) per call-out, the service had so far not been used.

”The pigeons are still there and we have never removed any birds from the roof. We have had defences against birds in place for some time, it just so happens that these birds have nested at the front entrance,” she told the Associated Press.

”The roof is a very complicated structure and there are health and safety considerations which is why we have this contract in place. The firm involved has abseiling and other rope techniques, which means they can safely make their way around the roof.

”Despite our defences it is inevitable that some birds will nest on the roof, it’s what birds do. But we have done our best to keep the roof bird free.”

Designed by the late Spanish architect Enric Miralles the building has been dogged by controversy after it was completed three years late and 10 times over budget. Lawmaker MacDonald has been a vocal critic of the building. Miralles died in 2000 and did not see his ambitious project completed.

The initial estimate for the project rose from £40-million ($74,6-million) to £431-million ($808-million). – Sapa-AP