The car park entrance on Market Street in Wymondham has become a regular roosting spot for pigeons, prompting frequent complaints from people in the town.

This has led to South Norfolk Council applying to itself to put in measures to deter the birds, as part of an £18,000 refurbishment of the archway.

The council is planning to replace the windows in the archway with like-for-like changes. However, the refurbishment will also see spikes and netting installed to put off the pesky pigeons.

The spikes would be put in place in window ledges, which netting would be fixed inside the building itself, each designed to deter the birds.

A spokesman for South Norfolk Council said: “The application was submitted by SNC as owners of the archway after receiving numerous complaints and following requests from the local town council and councillors – who have also received complaints about the mess caused by pigeons.

“Complaints have also been made by visitors, residents and general users of the car park regarding the mess pigeon guano is making and the health implications this may have.”

It comes after a supermarket near Norwich – the Harford Bridge Tesco – had shoppers in a flap over netting used to prevent swallows from nesting in one of its trolley stations.

The SNC spokesman added: “The council has taken expert advice about how to deal with the issue and the most humane and safe way to deter the pigeons setting up home in the archway.”

The spokesman added that as far as the council was aware, no other birds were known to be roosting in the archway – just pigeons.

On Wednesday, March 27, members of SNC’s planning committee will decide whether to push ahead with the scheme.

A report to the committee says that while the archway does not have listed building status, it is still a prominent historic feature of the town. Build in the mid-19th century, it once formed part of the town’s fire station, before its ground floor was opened up to allow vehicle access to the car park.