Residents' dismay as geese ravage ecosystem in Great Sankey

Whittle Hall Park, off Thorntondale Drive, has played host to a number of geese for a long period of time, and residents are becoming increasingly agitated.

It is feared that the geese are wreaking havoc on the ecosystem in the park, displacing other wildlife and contaminating ponds.

A campaign was launched to prevent the overfeeding of the geese (Image: Warrington Borough Council)

Instead of migrating to different areas, the geese are remaining in the park because residents are overfeeding them, which means they will not migrate.

This means that food is scarce in the area for other wildlife, as the geese are there to eat it all - a phenomenon that is known as 'over competition.'

The geese being overfed is a problem that the Land Trust is hoping to address with various initiatives being run in conjunction with Great Sankey Parish Council as well as Warrington Borough Council.

According to the Land Trust, the geese remaining at the site for longer than usual is causing the ecosystems in the area to become 'unhealthy' and 'unbalanced.'

Expert guidance has been sought by the Land Trust, with each expert concluding that the geese should stop being overfed, and this will cause them to migrate elsewhere.

The problem has grown in recent years, having been observed by residents and landowners alike for a number of seasons now.

One of the initiatives being driven is increased cleaning of pathways throughout the park, in an attempt to reduce the negative impact of goose excrement that is running into the ponds and streams.

The geese have even run a-fowl (sorry) of the police (Image: Cheshire Police)

The Land Trust said: "A community environment day was held at Whittle Community Hall in October, with approximately 250 members of the community attending.

"We conducted pond dipping with 80 children on the day to show the lack of diversity within the ponds, in addition to staff making bird feeders and promoting cycle paths, the recycling team were on hand providing guidance and myth-busting, the police were also in attendance security marking bicycles for the community."

In 2023 the Land Trust is hoping to change the way that the grass is cut at the park in order to encourage the geese to migrate away from the area.

The Land Trust added: "We appreciate feeding the geese and visiting the play area is a fun and affordable day out for families, especially when times are hard for so many.

"Instead of feeding the geese, we are asking families to count how many geese there are and what other species they can find and share their findings with us."