The dispute between Ken Livingstone and the Save the Trafalgar Square Pigeons group over the Mayor’s decision to withdraw from an agreement to cull the number of pigeons by reducing their feed is to be decided in court.
Sitting at London County Court Judge Barry Lightman yesterday ruled that the case should be heard by a district judge. Giving his decision Judge Lightman said the issue “is of importance to Trafalgar Square in particular and I think it merits a circuit judge’s involvement.”
Activists claim the Mayor withdrew from the agreement when his office realised how long it would take to reduce the number of birds in the square. Disputing this the Mayor’s office say they withdrew because the area where the reduced food scheme was taking place is controlled by Westminster Council and not by the GLA.
Judge Lightman said there “seems some force” in the activist’s argument that the agreement between both sides “may be a contract and it may be binding, but there is clearly going to be an argument raised that it was not intended to create legal relations.”
The case is expected to be heard in April.
