No outright ban by Redcar & Cleveland Council on weed killer
A council will continue to limit its use of a toxic weed killer which sparked a campaign by local youngsters, but has fallen short of instigating a complete ban.
A report approved by Redcar and Cleveland Council’s cabinet referenced the “significant impact on cost, sustainability and service delivery”.
It recommended the adoption of a policy to incrementally reduce glyphosate in parks and public open spaces where practical, except for the management of invasive non-native plant species.
But the chemical will continue to be used to manage vegetation abutting hard surfaces such as roads and footpaths, so adopted highways are maintained to a safe standard.
A motion approved by councillors in December noted health concerns about glyphosate exposure and the parallel need to protect habitat and biodiversity.
It called on the council to bring forward an action plan to bring glyphosate use down to zero and stop its use by council staff and contractors on council and public owned land by December this year.
Glyphosate has already been banned, or its use restricted, by more than 40 UK councils, although some have subsequently reintroduced it.
A campaign by Teesside-based environmental youth club Generation Climate Action resulted in a near-800 signature petition being handed into the council, while a protest was held in October at the Saltburn Valley Gardens play park by youngsters who dressed as zombies.
In response to the campaign, a motion moved by Liberal Democrat councillor Jemma Joy, who chairs the council ’s climate and environment scrutiny committee, said there was growing scientific evidence of the harm caused by glyphosate and there were more cost effective, creative and natural solutions available as an alternative.
Edith Reeve, a project manager for Generation Climate Action, previously told the Local Democracy Reporting Service of an incident where a dog fell seriously ill after eating grass in a park which had been sprayed by council workers with glyphosate.
She said there had been “needless spraying” around trees, bins and lamp posts and the killing of plants with chemical weed killers had resulted in a “catastrophic effect” on insect populations and pollinators.
The cabinet report said unmanaged vegetation could obstruct sight lines for vehicle users, raise paving stones and cause tripping hazards, and its removal contributed to the standards expected by residents and visitors relating to the borough’s appearance.
It referenced legal cases filed in the US alleging that glyphosate exposure had caused claimants to develop non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Glyphosate is the active ingredient in many herbicides and considered the most effective substance for managing invasive non-native plants such as giant hogweed and Himalayan balsam.
The report said: “Steps have been taken to limit, reduce and stop the use of glyphosate where possible, such as near hedgerows and other biodiverse spaces.”
The agreed proposals will identify key areas of council owned soft surfaces where glyphosate use can be stopped immediately such as tree bases, obstacles in grass areas, grass edges and shrub beds.
Meanwhile, a plan for widening its reduction, potentially from February next year, will include cemeteries and formal parks.
Glyphosate use will continue to manage vegetation on hard surfaces and where invasive non-native plants are detected, in accordance with legislative duties.
A communication programme will inform the public of the policy changes and the impact it will have on the borough.
The council said its approach was based on recommendations from the Pesticide Action Network UK, a charity focussed on pesticide reduction, who had identified effective planning and “acceptance of weeds” by residents as key factors for success in reducing glyphosate use.
It suggested a three year rollout plan, to mitigate the issues that some councils have faced when implementing immediate borough-wide bans on glyphosate use.
A reduction in usage of 25% by the end of the first year is anticipated with a view to reducing further in years two and three.
The report warned that not using glyphosate on soft surfaces in public open spaces “will result in a marked difference to the appearance of the borough, which contrasts with the current public expectations for levels of maintenance”.
Changes could include, for example, growth of weeds in flower beds, grassed areas, some verges, around the base of trees and around signage.
Glyphosate is registered for use as a plant protection product by the Health and Safety Executive and is approved as safe, when used as directed.
The council currently uses about 1,600 litres of it a year.
The report said information from trials undertaken by other local councils demonstrated that all other alternative options for vegetation management are “significantly more costly and substantially less effective and sustainable than the controlled use of glyphosate”.