Who is checking the real impact of council policy?
Cambridgeshire County Council, like many others, has very quietly drawn back from the use of some herbicides in amenity spaces. This might make councillors feel good about themselves and keep vocal campaigners off their back, but who is looking at the unintended consequences of these decisions?
The space between the road and pavement is no longer treated where we work and live. As a result, the weeds have taken hold. Other than a little additional damage to the road surface where some weeds have become quite big, there seems to be little by way of consequence.
Taking matters into their own hands
People are now becoming aware of the change of policy and are starting to question it. Not because we have been told about it by the Council, but because the weeds are now impossible to ignore. To be brief, some bits of the road are starting to look scruffy.
This is not easily tolerated by the houseproud residents of these leafy Cambridgeshire streets who, rather than allowing the grass to grow under their feet (quite literally), have begun to take matters into their own hands. Some of my neighbours are getting on their hands and knees and pulling the weeds, some get their gardner to do it, but only yesterday I caught a very close neighbour pouring a bottle of glyphosate based herbicide directly onto weeds in the gutter outside her house!
Trained, competent professional users only
Trained, competent professionals should be the only people applying herbicide on public land and highways, but it seems that council policy and a lack of information is changing this. Elderly residents and those who can’t or won’t dig out weeds can be excused for trying to use chemicals to do the job.
What is inexcusable is the contamination and environmental risks which results from uncontrolled and piecemeal use of herbicides in public spaces. Over application, contamination of watercourses, irresponsible and illegal disposal of residues and public safety, are all enshrined in the legislation which controls the professional use of herbicide products.
None of these controls apply to my neighbours, who inadvertently and through simple ignorance have undone all the well meant intentions of our County Council...