Conservative councillors have called for more action to remove weeds and more frequent grass cutting.
Councillor Alistair McNair, the Conservative group leader, spoke out at a meeting of Brighton and Hove City Council last night (Thursday 11 July).
He said that Labour had promised to “wage war on weeds” in the party’s 2023 local election manifesto.
Since then, councillors have given their backing to using glyphosate weedkiller, widely sold in shops as Roundup.
The council stopped spraying the herbicide five years ago but, in January, voted to go back to using, although applying it in a different way.
Instead of spraying the chemical, it is suspended in oil and applied directly to pavements weeds in a method that is less indiscriminate.
Councillor McNair called for a report to the cabinet to address the need for regular grass cutting and pavement weeding, with timelines and priority given to areas where older people live.
He said that Labour had promised a rose garden – but if there were roses, he said, they were hiding in among the weeds.
He said: “There’s more money for graffiti removal. More money for trees. More money for potholes. Why haven’t funds been released to solve the weed problem?
“This crucial service is still underfunded. Spraying with glyphosate once will not be enough to suppress weeds – hand de-weeding will also be required for larger weeds.
“We acknowledge many residents strongly disapprove of glyphosate. The council should still continue to investigate different methods of weed suppression.”
The Greens and Brighton and Hove Independents joined the criticism. They said that many people were concerned about the weedkiller and areas should be able to opt out of the glyphosate treatment.
Brighton and Hove Independent councillor Bridget Fishleigh said: “Many organisations, including Southern Water, have recommended that the council does not use glyphosates, citing the threat to the city’s aquifers and water quality.”
She said that a report on the matter should include the results of aquifer water testing for glyphosate contamination.
She added: “We want to remind all council operatives and contractors applying glyphosate to be cognisant of the recommendations to wear masks and protective clothing.”
Councillor Fishleigh said that she had received reports of workers wearing shorts while spraying.
Labour councillor Tim Rowkins, the council’s cabinet member for net zero and environmental services, said that the requests made by the Independents and Greens had either been done or would be done.
Councillor Rowkins said: “We need to make sure that our streets are safe and accessible and that the city is maintained to the satisfaction of residents – and that of course is why we were forced to act earlier this year.
“I would just ask for a little patience … it’s not realistic to expect the promised rose garden that was quoted earlier in just a few weeks.”
Independent councillor Peter Atkinson said that weed removal had gone well in his ward, North Portslade, which was the first to be targeted.
Councillor Atkinson said: “The only issue (was) the eventual removal of the dead weeds. This is sometimes carried out by a Cityclean worker and sometimes by the residents themselves – so a little bit hit and miss.
“I am grateful, however, to the administration for the reintroduction of weedkiller and this problem should be much easier to deal with as the years progress.”
A report is expected to be presented to the council’s cabinet on grass-cutting regimes, including sight lines and verges, with residents to receive clearer timelines for weed removal so people will know when their street would be cleared.
It is regularly reported that the “droplet” model is being used but this is not accurate. There are apparently plans to move that but the original decision was clear they would be going back to indiscriminate spraying with all the negatives that involves.
Citation please to these “apparent plans”?
Is mentioned in the Brighton and hove web site minutes
It was recommended to spray the cancer causing poison by the contractor the council approached as they felt that the droplets would not be effective until at least two years of spraying. The cost to do this was nearly double that of the short handed hand weeding the council had been using. The contractor were unable to give a fix cost as ‘could cost a lot more’, would guess the droplet method will be more expensive. To be seen if effective but sure will be a council success just as they are congratulating each other now for poisoning residents and environment
There was no mention of who or how much it would cost to remove the dead weeds once poisoned. Seems more economical and safer for city clean and residents to pull the weeds before they are droplets with a cancer causing poison ?
Was also not mentioned that some areas of the city would be hand weeded as to not upset voters in case Labour environmental chair lost his council seat to the greens in the future and city centre that Labour would of liked to have taken from the greens in the resent election
Perhaps you could provide the url of the minutes you state?
I’d especially like to see the details of the costs of spraying which I would assume compares continual weed removal versus the limited attempts by a few council operatives with hoes.
Did they use the term “cancer causing poison” or are you yet another misinformed scaremongering activist?
As you are well aware, Glyphosate has had its EU license approved for another 10 years and is legal to buy and use in the UK, the EU, and the US.
As with all chemicals, usage instructions need to be followed and the cancer cases in the US related to commercial use on crops by operatives and not weed removal on pavements and gutters.
The weeds in Portslade have been successfully treated. Many have just decomposed with the recent rains.
When even Southern Water, a company who apparently has no issue routinely dumping sewage in our seas and waterways, express concern about the potential harm of glyphosate use, it’s bonkers that the council ignore everyone and carry on regardless #ListeningLabour at their finest…
Agreed.
Citation about Southern Water concerns relating to use of Glyphosate please.
Was this, by any chance, in relation to use by farmers on crops entering the water supply, rather than pavements and gutters where any runoff enters drains and goes off to Peacehaven?
while the application of weed killer has had initial success in the north portslade area it will require additional spraying if its to be successful. weeds are already starting to regrow in some of the treated areas and some places such as the alleyway pictured have not received any treatment what so ever owing to an almost comical oversight by bungling city clean bosses.
the weed killer has been initially successful in north portslade however weeds are starting to regrow and it will require additional treatment if it is to be a success. most alleyways and twittens including the one pictured have not been treated owing to the almost comical ineptitude of city clean bosses.