TAMESIDE Council has been urged to transform grass verges into wildflower areas to help cut the use of potentially harmful substances.
Green Party councillor Lee Huntbach was left disappointed by the authority’s response after asking if it could formalise its strategy on the application of pesticides, including cutting out use of potentially cancer-causing glyphosate within a year.
Now he has called on it to take a leaf out of others’ book by adopting a policy of turning areas by the side of the road over to wildflowers.
In a statement, Tameside Green Party said: “Lee’s question included calling for a commitment to phasing out all pesticides due to their devastating effect on insects and biodiversity.
“Pesticides alternatives have already been successfully adopted by Green-led councils such as Lewes and Brighton and Hove, along with several others. In Brighton and Hove, all parties backed the ban.
“The World Health Organisation declared glyphosate a, “probable human carcinogen” in 2015. Currently, 70 to 80 Councils have turned to chemical-free options. It is a non-party political issue.
“There is compelling evidence that glyphosate and a wide range of other herbicides and pesticides are harmful to human health including successful legal cases regarding incurable cancer.
“The use of pesticides and weed killers reduces biodiversity, impacting negatively on insects, birds, and bees, in a time when the world is losing 2.5 per cent of its insect population per-year.
“Harmful weedkiller residues can creep into the food chain and children and pets are at risk from residues on council-maintained lawns and fields.
“Scientific studies have shown a 41 per cent increased risk of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma caused by exposure from glyphosate-based weed killers and products.
“But the answer he was given by Cllr Denise Ward, executive member for climate emergency and environmental services) was simply a list of current weed control activities. No commitment to formalising a pesticide-free strategy was forthcoming.
Cllr Huntbach asked at a meeting of Tameside’s full council on October 4: “Will the council formalise our strategy on pesticide applications across the borough including a minimum of the following commitments?
- Phase out the use of all pesticides and weed killers on council land.
- Cut out all use of glyphosate-based treatments in all council operations in one year.
- Trial pesticide-free alternatives during this period. Particularly those adopted by the likes of Hammersmith and Fulham and Lewes Councils who use biodegradable foam or hot steam treatments on weeds. To be decided by Executive.
- Grant an exception to the above ban regarding the control of Japanese knotweed, or other invasive species, where there are currently no effective mechanical techniques available. However, in this case chemicals such as glyphosate will only be stem-injected, rather than sprayed, to reduce its spread in the environment.
- Grant an exception on sprays only in relation to Giant Hogweed where it is not safe to be dug out or safely removed by other means.”
He added: “Savings could be made by reducing mowing of verges from fourteen cuts per year by transforming into wildflower verges to be cut only twice.
“The kerb edges would not require weeding as weeds simply blend in with the wildflowers.
“Weeds are already tolerated in parks and schools and are accepted as host plants for beneficial insects including bees, butterflies, lacewings, and hoverflies etc.
“Will the council consider wildflower verges as other councils have successfully done?”
After the response, Cllr Huntbach, who has more than 40 years’ experience in the horticulture industry, specialising in grounds maintenance, suggested doing as many other councils have by turning grass verges into wildflower meadows,
And he told The Correspondent: “This would reduce mowing of verges from fourteen times per year by transforming into wildflower verges to be cut only twice.
“The kerb edges would not require weeding as weeds simply blend in with the wildflowers.”
Seriously ?