Budget Proposal 2024/25: Reduce weed spraying treatment
Have your say.
Consultation status ArchivedActivity closed. Results published.
Background
West Berkshire Council currently undertakes two rounds of weed spraying along sections of the public highway throughout the district on an annual basis. The areas sprayed includes town centres, residential areas and roads with a kerb and selected rural roads. Our waste contractor, Veolia, is responsible for this service, which is usually provided by a sub-contractor.
Legislation Requirements
There are no legal requirements to spray and remove weeds.
What we are proposing
To reduce the weed spraying treatment from two applications per year to one application per year during the summer months. The council has recently enhanced our Climate Emergency declaration to include an Ecological Emergency. It is anticipated that reduced weed spraying can help improve local biodiversity and the abundance of wildlife.
The proposed change would also result in an annual saving of up to £20,000.
What we think the impact will be
We think that this proposal will have the following impact:
- a reduced use of chemical weed spray agent glyphosate by approximately 150 litres (50%) per annum - this change will be beneficial for bees, other pollinators and wildlife, and can help improve biodiversity within the district; this is consistent with the council's recent declaration of an Ecological Emergency
- the amount of weeds on public highways will increase during spring and the beginning of summer - this may also have an adverse effect on the quality of pavements and kerbs which may lead to an increased cost to repair and replace damaged pavements and kerbs over time
Please refer to the Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA) for more details. [33KB]
What else we have considered before arriving at our proposal
To provide no weed spraying at all. Removing this service would result in a bigger savings annually and remove all use of glyphosate. This has not been recommended due to the damage this would cause to the highway network. It would also adversely impact the visual amenity of our residential neighbourhoods.
Why we want your views
We would like to know how this proposal might impact you and the wider community, and any views you have on how we can minimise the impact of this proposed change, if the decision is taken to proceed with it. We would also welcome your views on areas of the district which you believe don't need to be sprayed at all.
How to take part
If you'd like to comment on this proposal, please complete our survey by midnight on Thursday, 11 January 2024. It should take about 10 minutes.
If you have any questions about the consultation, please email environmentconsult@westberks.gov.uk
For general information about parks and countryside, please visit our webpage.
What happens next
All the feedback we receive will be taken into consideration, and a final decision whether to proceed with this proposal will be made by elected Members at the Full Council Meeting to be held in early 2024.
If the decision is made to proceed with this proposal the change will be implemented from 1 April 2024.
What you told us
We also received 3 separate written responses from the Labour Party, Basildon Parish and Tilehurst Parish Council.
A summary of the responses received is included in the agenda papers for each public meeting.
What we did
All meetings were open to the public and residents either in person at the Market Street Offices or virtually.
After careful consideration, councillors agreed to continue the weed spraying treatment of two applications per year.
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