From: Mark Warters <mark@markwarters.co.uk>
Date: 5 December 2021 at 17:02:38 GMT
To: Ben Grabham <Ben.Grabham@york.gov.uk>, Dave Meigh <dave.meigh@york.gov.uk>, James Gilchrist <James.Gilchrist@york.gov.uk>, "Cllr. Widdowson" <cllr.pwiddowson@york.gov.uk>
Cc: Parish Council Osbaldwick <osbaldwickparishcouncil@yahoo.co.uk>, Alistair <murtonyorkparishclerk@yahoo.com>, Parish Council Dunnington <parish.clerk@dunningtonparishcouncil.org.uk>,

Subject: Weed killing.

Dear All,

I wrote recently expressing my concerns as to how late in the year the last hard surfaces weedkilling was to take place when the contractors would be battling the Autumn weather.

As I expected and there are numerous examples all over,  I am seeing when the practise of spraying off the back of quad bikes is made even more inaccurate by windy weather/speed of operation or just idleness.

The first photo shows weed killer damage on the side of a verge on Hull Rd just off Canham Grove, minor damage you might say - but not when it’s on a verge maintained to a high standard by the residents in the area, I very much doubt incidentally whether those residents would have allowed any weeds in the kerb line anyway.

This is a photo on the corner of Baysdale Av. I took the other day when replanting a tub nearby, weed killer damage both sides of the verge.

On the opposite corner on a section of verge and road that is a private highway the contractor shouldn’t have even been down what is to be seen weed killer damage caused by the quad bike driving over the verge with weed killer on the tyres.

I will continue to say that this function needs to be brought ‘in house’ ASAP.

I note from a recent FOI response from Dave Meigh to a resident that the weedkilling of the hard surfaces - roads/footpaths has the contract up for tender/renewal next year.

About time to resource the CYC department appropriately and bring this under tighter control with ALL spraying in residential areas undertaken by operatives on foot using knapsacks or CDA methods - controlled droplet application ought to reassure residents concerned over Glyphosate use that chemicals aren’t being used unnecessarily and with a less than targeted approach as at present.

As regards the current CYC ‘Nomix’ CDA spraying that takes place around obstacles in verges prior to grass cutting commencing every year (that does not take place in the Osbaldwick and Derwent Ward following complaints by myself) has anyone taken on board the issue of the use of chemicals unnecessarily around the redundant sign poles that litter so many verges in York?

I’ve made the point many times in the past and if I see the ‘brown circle brigade’ out spraying around redundant signs and poles I’ll photograph as many as possible next Spring as I don’t feel spraying around council obstacles that shouldn’t be there constitutes a sensible use of public money nor is consistent with the requirement to only be using herbicides in public areas with the minimum amount of chemical and with as low a frequency as possible.

I understand there is to be a report on herbicide treatment issues in the new year going to Executive, I can’t honestly think many of the methods likely to have been trialled to be very effective or cost effective and would much prefer to see a sensible and targeted approach of the currently used herbicides, including use of the ‘Diamond’ glyphosate formulation to rid paths in certain areas of Marestail.

Look forward to an apology to the residents on Hull Rd off Canham Grove to the damage to the verge they maintain and to residents on the corner of Baysdale Av whose road, verge and path have been similarly damaged despite part of it being a private road - with a sign on the verge saying that.

Mark.

Regards,

Cllr. Mark Warters.

T:01904 413370