ePetition - Weed management on pavements and walkways
navigation and tools
Find it
You are here - Home : Council and Democracy : Councillors and Committees : Petition
ePetition details
Weed management on pavements and walkways
We acknowledge the council policy to not use chemical weed killers but that doesn’t mean they should not be removed and left to take over pavements and walkways. The weeds need to be manually removed or by another means suitable and clear walkways maintained. It’s clear funding is not being used for regular refuse/recycling collection, street cleaning, park or green space maintenance or that of the roads and pavements so I beg to question where local tax payers money is going when other councils seem to manage all the above issues to a far better degree.
This ePetition ran from 02/07/2020 to 28/09/2020 and has now finished.
207 people signed this ePetition.
Council response
Response provided at the Environment, Transport & Sustainability Committee on 29 September 2020
"With regard to the management of weeds, there are some important considerations: Our City Environmental Managemental services has committed to become pesticide free by 2022. A plan was developed to end the use of pesticide in the city’s parks, open spaces, pavements and highways in November 2019. The service will not engage contractors to use pesticide on any land managed by these departments. This means that, since the decision was taken, the removal of weeds in parks and on hard surfaces has been undertaken in-house and using manual techniques.
As part of this approach, we know that Cityclean workers have
been open that they would not be able to remove weeds to same
extent as before.
But, Cityclean has cleared most of the worst affected areas in the
city; but I do have to inform you that the weeding and deep
cleaning schedule has been badly impacted upon by the Covid-19
pandemic and effects of restrictions and lockdown; as I’m
sure you will understand cleansing operatives were also diverted to
cover staff who had to self-isolate.
The weeding season ends in October when the focus will change to leaves. We will then look at what has gone well, the positive and negative impact on the environment including pavements and where we can make improvements. We will take this time to trial new brushes for the mechanical sweepers and review funding, equipment and resources for the following year. A report will be brought to committee in the New Year.
On your point about aesthetics, while I agree we have to keep streets easy to navigate, many residents have asked us not to remove weeds when they have seen the insects flourish due to other concerns for biodiversity, so I am also listening to when these comments are raised.
Our Streets Cleansing operatives continue to work hard to remove
weeds and leaves from the most affected areas of the city, and I
want to let you know that Residents who would like excessive weeds
removed from public land can contact report this online and street
cleaners will attend the area. I’d be pleased to let you know
in writing how to do this and also to reflect your comments in the
report coming in the new year on resources available for weeding in
the city".