Date of meeting: 11 July 2024

Notice of Motion

Joint Brighton & Hove Independents Group & Green Group Amendment

That deletions are made as shown with ~~strikethrough~~ below and additional recommendations are added as shown in bold italics below:

This Council:

1)Acknowledges the use of glyphosate was agreed in February 2024;

2) Notes the high volume of complaints Councillors in north and east Brighton receive about lack of weed removal; the danger of not cutting verge sightlines; the hazard of broken pavements; the risk dogs are exposed to by seeds in long grass; the risk to hay fever sufferers; the unsightly state of the city;

3) Notes that mowing is inadequate and that insufficient resources have been allocated to this key election pledge;

4) Notes residents’ ongoing major concerns about the toxic nature of glyphosate-based weed-killer;

5) Acknowledges the need to keep the glyphosate weed management programme under constant monitoring to identify adverse environmental impacts;

This council therefore resolves to call for a report to Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee which considers options in relation to the following issues:

6) Regular grass-cutting and de-weeding of pavements, sightlines, verges and twittens;

7) Clear timelines for weed removal so residents know when their streets will be cleared;

8) Prioritising residential areas where elderly live who are at risk of tripping over weeds and broken paving slabs;

9) The prioritisation of the elderly, the disabled, and hay fever sufferers ahead of an ineffective rewilding policy.

10) Allowing neighbourhoods to opt out of the glyphosate treatment in favour of manual weed removal by residents using tools supplied by the Council;

11) Monitoring the city’s aquifers for signs of contamination by glyphosate residues, and stating what the options are should levels of glyphosate in the city’s drinking water be at or above the statutory maximum;

12) Ensuring the health and safety of Council operatives and contractors applying glyphosate weed killer by drawing their attention to recommendations to wear masks and protective clothing of the required specifications;

13) Asks officers to consider temporary signage to be placed where glyphosate has been sprayed for residents’ information;

14) Determining the real efficacy of the glyphosate treatment programme vis a vis its stated objectives, given that the summer weather to date has not proved conducive to glyphosate treatment under the strict legal terms and conditions of its use.

15) Requests an assessment to consider discontinuing the glyphosate programme once the current annual cycle of spraying has been completed.

Proposed by: Cllr Fishleigh Seconded by: Cllr Pickett

Recommendations to read if carried:

This Council:

1) Acknowledges the use of glyphosate was agreed in February 2024;

2) Notes the high volume of complaints Councillors in north and east Brighton receive about lack of weed removal; the danger of not cutting verge sightlines; the hazard of broken pavements; the risk dogs are exposed to by seeds in long grass; the risk to hay fever sufferers; the unsightly state of the city;