Limited use of herbicides will be allowed in Wychavon’s parks and open spaces again after a trial was only partly successful.
Wychavon introduced a 12-month ban on the use of the chemicals in April last year as part of its commitment to boosting biodiversity and protecting pollinators.
Contractors have instead been removing weeds either by hand or with tools. But an assessment of the trial has found these methods have caused significant damage to tarmac and other hard surfaces in places around the district.
It has also not been possible to remove weeds from some difficult to reach areas and this has led to a deterioration in the appearance of some parks and open spaces.
The trial has been more successful in planted areas with only persistent weeds proving problematic.
Councillors agreed at a meeting on Wednesday (26 March) to allow the use of herbicides in parks and open space but only on hard surfaces. They may also be used in planted areas for persistent weeds but only with sign off from a senior member of Wychavon’s parks team.
The move is still expected to cut the 20 litres a year of herbicide previously used in Wychavon’s parks. The £88,000 saving from not continuing with the trial, will also be reinvested back into biodiversity projects across the district’s parks.
Herbicides and pesticides are still being used to control weeds on hard surfaces in urban areas, like town centres and residential roads.
Cllr Beverley Hardman, Wychavon’s Executive Board Member for Boosting Natural Capital, said: “This strikes a balanced approach between still reducing our use of herbicides and avoiding the ongoing repairs that would have been needed to damaged surfaces.
“Reinvesting savings from scrapping the scheme will allow us to continue to boost biodiversity in our parks while limiting the risks to wildlife and insects. We’ll continue to explore future opportunities to reduce our herbicide use further.”
