FI15466

Request

I am writing to enquire about the Council’s use of herbicides in 2024. I would be very grateful if you could please respond to my questions below: 

1.    Does the Council, or contractors acting on behalf of the Council, use herbicides in the following areas:

a)    Parks and green spaces YES/NO

b)    Cemeteries YES/NO

c)    Playing fields YES/NO

d)    Road verges and roundabouts YES/NO

e)    Hard surfaces such as pavements and highways YES/NO

f)    Housing estates YES/NO 

2.    What volume of herbicides did the Council, or contractors acting on behalf of the Council, use from 1st January to 31st December 2024? Please answer in litres or kilograms. 

3.    Does the council, or contractors acting on behalf of the Council, use glyphosate-based herbicides? YES/NO 

4.    How much money did the Council spend on costs associated to buying and using herbicides from 1st January to 31st December 2024? Please include all costs, including but not limited to; the purchase of pesticide products, application equipment and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), staff training and costs associated to outsourcing to contractors. 

5.    How many complaints did the Council receive about weeds from 1st January to 31st December 2024? 

6.    a) Does the Council have a policy in place aimed at reducing or ending the use of herbicides on land under its control? YES/NO

b)    If YES, please provide a link to the policy or provide a hard copy if not available online.

 

Response

  1. Yes, all of the above.
  2. The Council procured 20 litres of Gallup Herbicide and 300g of Chikara Weed Killer in 2024.  The Council does not hold any information about what products are used by external contractors.  The Council’s Waste and Cleansing contractor have confirmed that they used 26 litres of weed treatment product in 2024.  This does contain glyphosate.
  3. Yes.
  4. The Council does not hold this information as the costs are not broken down to this level of detail.
  5. Zero.
  6. No.