Plea to end use of glyphosate weed killer

The motion urges the council to involve Cumberland communities in becoming pesticide-free

A motion to restrict the use of weed killer glyphosate is set to go before a council.

The Green Party has asked Cumberland Council to "establish a plan to phase out the use of glyphosate and other synthetic herbicides and pesticides on all council owned or managed land".

More than 80 councils across the UK have already phased-out or put measures in place to end use of the pesticide, Green Party councillors Jill Perry and Helen Davison said.

The chemical is a powerful herbicide that kills most plants, but there is concern about its wider impact on bird and insect populations.

Perry and Davison asked Cumberland Council to recognise that "glyphosate-based herbicides and pesticides being used on council owned and managed land were detrimental to the natural world and, by extension, to society".

The motion urges the authority to involve communities in becoming pesticide-free, including ensuring the council communicates the benefits of stopping pesticide use, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

It proposed inviting residents to take part in trialling other methods of weed management.

The council is being asked to introduce a phased withdrawal from the use of all pesticides, including glyphosate, over a period of three years, including by all subcontractors.

The recommendation is set to be discussed at a council meeting on Tuesday.