Hackney Council

weed killer products used by the counci (FOI-1494)

Message from Hackney Council

11 October 2018

Re: Freedom of Information Request.

Thank you for your request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, received 13 September 2018. Your request has been considered and our response is in bold below.

You requested the following:

- Does the council use any garden/environmental products that contain glyphosate? If so, what are they?

- Does the council use Roundup or RangerPro weed killer from company Monsanto? If so, which products?

- How much has the council spent on these items in five years? (Separated by each year and product)

- Does the council have immediate plans to discontinue use of the Roundup and RangerPro weed killer products or any other products mentioned? If so, why?

The Council’s Response

- Does the council use any garden/environmental products that contain glyphosate? If so, what are they?

Environmental Operations, who are responsible for weed control on streets and housing estates, employ a contractor for weed spraying. The contractor uses Monsanto Amenity Glyphosate XL.

Our Parks Department and Grounds Maintenance, who are responsible for green areas on estates, use Roundup Pro Active 360.

- Does the council use Roundup or RangerPro weed killer from company Monsanto? If so, which products?

Both products mentioned above are produced by Monsanto.

- How much has the council spent on these items in five years? (Separated by each year and product)

For streets and estates hard standing, the contractor is paid per spray We therefore are unable to provide you with the amount they have spent on glyphosate products during this period.

Parks & Grounds Maintenance

2013

1,464

2014

1,254

2015

1,325

2016

1,258

2017

718

- Does the council have immediate plans to discontinue use of the Roundup and RangerPro weed killer products or any other products mentioned? If so, why?

The EU licence for Glyphosate comes up for review in November 2022 and there is no guarantee that it will be renewed, particularly in light of the campaign against it. The Council has no immediate plans to discontinue use of these products but will continue to monitor advice issued by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), the Health & Safety Executive (HSE), and the EU. In the meantime we are looking at alternative methods of weed control and ways in which Glyphosate usage can be reduced.

Appeals & Complaints Procedure

If you are dissatisfied with this response and wish to appeal, please write to the Information Management Team and this will be dealt with through our Internal Review procedure.

Information Management Team - Governance

London Borough of Hackney

Hackney Service Centre

1 Hillman Street

London E8 1DY

[email protected]

Your request for an internal review should be submitted to us within 40 working days of receipt by you of this response. Any such request received after this time will only be considered at the discretion of the Council.

If you are still not satisfied following the Internal Review, you have a right to appeal to the Information Commissioner at the contact details provided below.

Information Commissioner"s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Telephone: 01625 545 700

www.ico.org.uk

Yours sincerely

Information Management Team

Page updated: 13/04/2021 14:42:42