Councillors agree to test weedkiller halt after a petition. Trial follows concerns about wildlife and cancer risks.
A petition asked the council to stop using it. Over 26,000 people signed that petition. Most signers did not live nearby. Councilors looked at different options.
They suggested a test area for roads and stopping its use in parks. Freshney Comrades organized the petition. They worried about wildlife and cancer risks.
One councilor said the EU studied this and found that it did not harm humans or animals. The EU did not call it a carcinogen. The council found many bans failed. Forty-five percent changed their minds. Weed complaints and costs were issues.
Another councilor asked about alternatives. Officers said there were likely no good options and that more weeds were a likely result. One option was using trimmers.
This would cost £1.3m yearly and require hiring 30 more people. One councilor was disappointed, feeling it would look bad. Another feared more weed complaints. One councilor remembered other towns with many weed complaints and complaints about the bad streets.
Another councilor said people would be angry if weeds grew more often. The EU study says Glyphosate has no proven harm. One councilor wanted a three-year phase-out plan.
The panel voted for a trial instead, with a vote of five to one, and two people skipped voting. The plan likely goes to the cabinet on March 12. Officers will figure out how to do the trial.