Fury as council asks residents to tackle unwanted weeds themselves

Fury as Green council which banned weed killer asks residents to tackle unwanted plants themselves amid infestation

• Brighton and Hove infested with weeds since council banned use of glyphosate

A green council which banned weedkiller has caused more fury by asking residents to weed their own streets and pavements.

Brighton and Hove has been infested with weeds since the council banned the use of glyphosate – an active ingredient in most weedkillers and herbicides – in 2019.

Pavements, streets, walls and drains have been overrun by unwanted plants, causing anger among residents.

They complain the city looks ‘a mess’ and many disabled and elderly people say they no longer go for walks over fears they could trip and injure themselves.

In 2021-22 at least eight elderly people were hospitalised with injuries due to falls caused by overgrown weeds.

Brighton and Hove has been infested with weeds since the council banned the use of glyphosate – an active ingredient in most weedkillers and herbicides – in 2019

Laura King, protester against the scheme which has not gone down well with all residents

The council are asking for ‘weed warriors’ to help weed through the spring and summer months

Last year the authority blamed Brexit for the infestation saying they were having difficulty recruiting staff and ordering equipment.

But now the eco-conscious council has been slammed after asking taxpayers to become volunteer ‘weed warriors’ – instead of employing people to do the job.

Residents, who have experienced one of the highest council tax rises in the UK, have lashed out at ‘council madness’.

They are furious they are being asked to carry out basic tasks supposed to be covered by their council tax.

One local, Laura King, said: ‘Are they joking? It’s absolute madness to expect residents to go out and start doing jobs the council is legally obliged to provide – especially when this is covered by the council tax.

‘To have the gall to ask people to do it just shows the attitude of this council. It’s shocking really.’

Pensioner Nigel Furness, who is partially-sighted and registered disabled, said: ‘Trying to negotiate potholes and poorly-maintained pathways in Brighton and Hove is bad enough but when you had an infestation of weeds it becomes treacherous.

‘The council seems to have washed its hands of its responsibilities to the public and the failure to clear the weeds from the pavements is a huge issue for people who are disabled and old.

‘The council has a legal responsibility to maintain the highways and pavements and failing to do so leaves them in breach of it.’

Last year the authority blamed Brexit for the infestation saying they were having difficulty recruiting staff and ordering equipment

Pavements, streets, walls and drains have been overrun by unwanted plants, causing anger among residents

Businesses have also complained saying it is making the seaside resort look ‘scruffy’ and is bad for the city’s image

Ms King added: ‘The council may think it is saving money by not employing people to clear the weeds but it would be interesting to know how much they have had to pay out due to pedestrians injuring themselves tripping over weeds.

‘It’s a false economy because weeds grow on the road and pavement surface causing damage which is costly to repair. I think the council needs to wake up and see public opinion is not with them on this issue.’

Another resident, Dean Redmond, said: ‘Wheelchair users, the partially-sighted and those who are elderly are rightly up in arms about the council’s failure to maintain the pavements and roads.

‘It is discriminatory and wrong and the Greens need to start paying attention to what people actually want.

‘I’d also like to ask them if when asking people to take to the streets with trowels, hoes and secateurs whether they are themselves covered if any of their volunteers is injured.’

Businesses have also complained saying it is making the seaside resort look ‘scruffy’ and is bad for the city’s image.

Councillor Elaine Hills said they’ve had difficulty recruiting for street cleansing positions – pictured are the council offices in Hove (stock image)

Launching the scheme, Councillor Elaine Hills, co-chairman of the Environment, Transport & Sustainability Committee, said: ‘We know how important avoiding pesticides for weed removal is to our residents, which is why our streets have been glyphosate free since 2019.

‘We’ve had difficulty recruiting for street cleansing positions in recent years and Cityclean are doing all they can to remove weeds.

‘The Weed Warrior scheme will help us keep up with the demand of manual weeding through the spring and summer months.

‘As well as Weed Warrior community events, volunteers can also join in by becoming a Weed Warrior in their local area.

‘We hope the scheme provides an opportunity for residents to gain new skills, be more active, get out and about in the city and find new places to explore. You’ll also have the opportunity to meet new people who are all as passionate as you about looking after our beautiful city.’

The controversial Green-run council has faced a wave of controversy for a series of measures which have penalised motorists including closing a lane on the busy seafront road and turning it into a cycle lane and replacing parking spaces with cycle hangars.

The council previously banned disposable barbecues on the beach and in public parks claiming they contributed to global warming.

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