People living in a street that had opted out of the council’s weedkiller treatment were shocked to see workers applying glyphosate to plants along their road.
Brighton and Hove City Council said that it would offer communities the chance to opt out of weedkiller treatments in February after reintroducing glyphosate after a five-year gap.
People in Harrington Villas, Brighton, had only just received their weeding equipment from the council when contractors were seen apply chemicals in their street.
Enough volunteers had signed up to enable the road, off Preston Drove, to apply to opt out on Tuesday 22 April.
But on Friday 30 May, workers were seen applying glyphosate – sold commercially as Roundup – to weeds on the street, much to the shock and disappointment of the street co-ordinator Jethro Carr.
Volunteers had been prepared to carry out collective weeding for the first time on Sunday 1 June.
Mr Carr said: “This contradicts the agreement made and the commitments outlined in your previous correspondence, not to mention the health and environmental concerns many residents have about this chemical.
“Worryingly, we only spotted the workers spraying by chance.
“Had we not seen them, we would have unknowingly gone ahead with our hand-weeding session on Sunday — potentially exposing ourselves to the glyphosate-treated plants without any warning.
“This could have resulted in residents becoming unwell, particularly those with children, pets or health sensitivities.
“The spraying has not only undermined the efforts and goodwill of local volunteers but has also created a serious safety concern.
“I am now obliged to warn neighbours not to touch the affected areas until the chemicals have broken down.”
Green councillor Kerry Pickett, who represents Preston Park ward, has asked the council for a list of roads that have opted out.
She said that two other streets in the ward, where residents did not want to be identified, have also had glyphosate treatment.
Councillor Pickett said: “Residents are more than angry and really upset that this toxic chemical has been sprayed along their road.
“This clearly shows that the whole opt-out set up isn’t working. The contractors don’t seem to know what is going on, such as what roads are included in the opt-out and what aren’t.
“The use of this toxic herbicide means a lot to many of this city’s residents. Many have taken time to speak to neighbours, agree an opt-out and filled out the required forms.
“To then find out that the street has been sprayed anyway doesn’t give residents much faith in how the council works.”
There was also outcry in Hollingdean when contractors were seen treating weeds in the area on Friday 30 May along various roads where the residents’ association thought were opted out through Growing Hollingdean.
However, the Growing Hollingdean group said that only two streets had formally opted out.
Labour councillor Theresa Fowler, who represents Hollingdean and Fiveways ward, said: “If people have not opted out, they can just weed outside their homes and then the weeds won’t be treated.
“We have asked the contractors not to treat flowers in bloom.”
Before the council secured cross-party support to stop using glyphosate in 2019, workers used to spray the weedkiller along pavements from the back of quadbikes.
The new regime introduced last year involves suspending the chemical in oil and applying it directly to pavement weeds in a method that is less indiscriminate.
Brighton and Hove City Council was approached for comment.
This is Tim Rowkins’ responsibility.
He has some explaining to do.
Yep – how hard can it be. They can’t collect the bins, and can’t remember which streets have opted out. The list goes on, but the mistakes, mishaps and poor decisions are stacking up at speed.
Preparing to do it manually themselves! I wonder. Good on the council for doing their job. And it’s not dangerous. I use it all the time!
Funny how the council always gets there just before the neighbours were about to do it themselves..
Glyphosate is (apparently) an effective solution to weeds in Urban areas – where there are far worse pollutants, mostly human.
I personally won’t use this or any chemicals at my home space, either in the road outside my house, in our garden, or at my organic allotment.
But we really do need to let the council do their job in keeping the city tidy, either with manual gardening intervention, or else with weed spraying. They can’t wait for lazy householders, stuck indoors, moaning, and with some sort of half-baked ideology.
If your own road is full of green objectors, then why have they themselves not yet rolled up their sleeves? Too much time on the internet?
Re-wilding pavements is not the same thing as encouraging bees or other pollinators. Weeds in fact cause long term damage to pavement areas.
The weird thing is, that manual weeding can be quite satisfying, once you actually get down to doing it.
I’ve just written this, whilst realising that our own front garden needs weeding this weekend. It’s not actually my responsibility, but nor is it the council’s remit to fully control the environment.
Sunday looks like a good weeding day.
Yes – if these anti-pesticide obsessives removed the weeds, as they committed to do, then there operatives would have nothing to spray.
And, not wanting to be pedantic, but everything is made of chemicals ☺️
Indeed, if our bodies had “ingredient” labels it would be full of warnings about dangerous chemicals!
But as some of us have said for a long time if you don’t want the pesticide used outside your property then remove the weeds yourself. You don’t need council provided tools to do that – especially if you have a garden of your own. You can even use an old knife to chop the weeds.
I’m in a bit of two minds, if they had opted out and it has done anyway, that’s not good, but also you opt out as well by virtue of actually doing the weeding…
Re-read the article. The council had just issued the equipment for volunteers to weed their streets, and then set about with the weedkiller. The system appears very muddled and haphazard, and looks like it needs an overhaul.
Google view of Harrington Villas
They all seem to have gardens so are they saying none of them have their own tools?
You don’t need special council issued tools to scrape or pull up a few weeds off the pavement!
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Harrington+Villas,+Brighton+and+Hove,+Brighton/@50.8447263,-0.147059,50m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x4875857d6524d7f3:0x9f7eb5c507ed020b!8m2!3d50.8448966!4d-0.1470479!16s%2Fg%2F1v_vscp9?hl=en-gb&entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDYwNC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D
Just get organised and DIY
Just received tools when there are loads of gardens, surely they have tools.If you opt out you should have been weeding right away, if the council comes along and loads of weeds then they should spray them.If doing the job you opted to do was getting done the council would have nothing to spray.
Gglyphosate problems and advances is quite an extensive task, but I can provide a detailed overview that you can expand upon. Here’s a structured outline along with key points and summaries that can be elaborated into a comprehensive discussion.
### Outline
1. **Introduction**
– Definition of glyphosate
– Historical context and development
– Importance in agriculture
2. **Glyphosate as a Herbicide**
– Mechanism of action
– Types of crops treated with glyphosate
– Global usage statistics
3. **Health Concerns**
– Studies linking glyphosate to cancer (e.g., IARC classification)
– Other health risks (endocrine disruption, reproductive effects)
– Regulatory responses and debates
4. **Environmental Impact**
– Effects on biodiversity
– Impact on soil health and microbiome
– Water contamination issues
5. **Resistance Issues**
– Development of glyphosate-resistant weeds
– Economic implications for farmers
– Strategies to manage resistance
6. **Advances in Research**
– Innovations in glyphosate formulations
– Alternative herbicides and integrated pest management
– Genetic engineering and CRISPR technology
7. **Regulatory Landscape**
– Overview of global regulations
– Case studies of bans and restrictions
– Public opinion and activism
8. **Future Directions**
– Sustainable agriculture practices
– Research on glyphosate alternatives
– The role of technology in crop protection
9. **Conclusion**
– Summary of key points
– The balance between agricultural needs and health/environmental concerns
### Key Points
1. **Introduction**
– Glyphosate, discovered in the 1970s, is a broad-spectrum systemic herbicide widely used to kill weeds.
– It became popular due to its effectiveness and the introduction of glyphosate-resistant crops.
2. **Glyphosate as a Herbicide**
– Glyphosate inhibits the shikimic acid pathway, essential for plant growth.
– It is crucial for crops like soybeans, corn, and cotton, contributing to increased agricultural productivity.
3. **Health Concerns**
– The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic in humans” based on limited evidence in humans and sufficient evidence in animals.
– Ongoing debates about its safety continue, with various studies highlighting potential links to other health issues.
4. **Environmental Impact**
– Glyphosate’s impact on non-target species, including pollinators and aquatic life, raises concerns.
– Studies suggest that glyphosate can negatively affect soil health, disrupting microbial communities.
5. **Resistance Issues**
– The emergence of glyphosate-resistant weed species has led to increased herbicide use and the development of new management strategies.
– Farmers are exploring integrated weed management techniques, including crop rotation and cover crops.
6. **Advances in Research**
– Ongoing research aims to develop new formulations that reduce environmental impact and enhance effectiveness.
– Innovations include biopesticides and genetic modification to develop crops that require fewer herbicides.
7. **Regulatory Landscape**
– Different countries have varied regulations regarding glyphosate usage, with some implementing bans while others continue to support its use.
– Public advocacy and legal actions have influenced regulatory decisions.
8. **Future Directions**
– The focus on sustainable agriculture is prompting research into alternative methods and products to reduce reliance on glyphosate.
– Technological advancements in agriculture, such as precision farming, may offer solutions to minimize herbicide use.
9. **Conclusion**
– The discussion surrounding glyphosate is complex, balancing agricultural efficiency with health and environmental concerns.
– Continued research and dialogue are essential to navigate the future of glyphosate in agriculture.
### Expansion Ideas
– Incorporate case studies on specific regions or crops affected by glyphosate use.
– Analyze statistical data on glyphosate usage trends over the years.
– Discuss the socio-economic impact of glyphosate dependence in farming communities.
– Examine the role of public perception and media in shaping the narrative around glyphosate.
This outline provides a comprehensive framework to explore the multifaceted issues surrounding glyphosate. Each section can be fleshed out with detailed research, case studies, and current events to reach the desired word count. If you need more specific information or assistance with a particular section, feel free to ask!
It seems the people ‘opting out’ forget in doing so they have a responsibility to keep the pavements clear- for the benefit of their less able bodied community and also to prevent pavement disrepair and environmental costs associated with that.
This isn’t an opt out and let it overgrow scheme, screw social responsibility and the disabled, the elderly, everyone else and then use the fact the council then does their job as a reason to moan and further spread selected and misleading information about glysphosphate to try and undermine what seems to be the only sensible compromise to keep BH pavements clear and accessible for everyone.