Station Road salon owner Nelson Brown is up in arms over the former Taj Mahal Express’ shabby shop front and the green slime and poo splatterings lining the street.
Despite fears that the large quantities of pigeon mess are a danger to the public, both a slipping hazard and a food safety issue, the council’s environmental health team have deemed the issue ‘not severe’.
A spokesman from environmental health said: “This service does not consider the level of pigeon mess a statutory public health nuisance nor does it consider it to be a threat to food safety.”
Additional street cleaning has been arranged by the council and the building standards team have also been able to close the problem shop’s first floor window, to stop birds accessing the empty building.
Annandale North Councillor Stephen Thompson said: “I’ve contacted various council services about this matter and they have all explored the legislation and powers at their disposal, but to everyone’s frustration, including council officers, there is little more they can do to the building until it poses a public safety risk.
“Clearly the building looks bad but it is the responsibility of the owner to look after it, with the council only able to intervene when it becomes a safety risk.
“The building remains ‘on watch’ by the council, along with a number of buildings throughout the area.”
But hairstylist Nelson does not think enough is being done.
He said: “The big picture is Lockerbie train station, which is an artery of life for the town and for multiple travellers coming to Lockerbie to be confronted by Station Road.
It is honestly embarrassing for the town.” He added: “I have tried approaching this from almost every angle and the response from the council just typifies how hard the issue is to get sorted.”
Nelson is also appealing for anyone who has any information on who the property owner might be to get in touch with himself or this newspaper.
The hairdresser is also hoping to organise a gathering with fellow Station Road proprietors to discuss tackling the issue.
