Key information
Request reference number: MGLA220923-6943
Date of response:
Summary of request
Our response
Please see our replies to each of your questions in turn below:
1. Does the council use any pesticides to maintain green areas? If it used to but has now stopped, when did it stop using them?
The contractor phased out the use of glyphosate at Parliament Square Gardens. This was explicitly formalised in the September 2021 contract variation.
No pesticides are used across the GLA Land and Property estate, they are either cut or removed manually.
2. Please provide the following information on amenity pesticide usage if the council uses pesticides, or used to in the past 5 years:
a) Does the council use Glyphosate?
The only place the GLA horticulture contractors used glyphosate product within the core GLA estate was at Parliament Square Gardens. The contractor has now phased out the use of glyphosate at Parliament Square Gardens.
b) Annual quantities of Glyphosate used over the past 5 years. Please provide the quantities for each year separately and include the total amount used both by the council internally and externally through contractors.
As stated above, the contractor has phased out the use of glyphosate at Parliament Square Gardens. GLA contractors have confirmed that they do not have any records of the amounts of glyphosate used.
c) Where is Glyphosate used? For example, parks, play areas, highway verges and roads, pavements, tree bases, estate-based green spaces, etc.
The contractor has now completely phased out the use of glyphosate at Parliament Square Gardens. It was only used for spot treating residual weeds on hard standing areas such as between paving.
d) How much has the council spent on purchasing and spraying amenity pesticides over the past 5 years? Please include staff costs of people employed to undertake this (either contractors or council staff).
Most weed removal is manual. Any costs for pesticides is included in the wider contract for horticultural works and not specifically broken down.
4. If the council has stopped using pesticides, how much has been spent on maintaining green spaces over the last five years, and what method is used (for example, no control, manual weeding, mowing and hand pulling, propane or flame gun, etc)?
Please include staff costs of people employed to undertake this (either contractors or council staff).
Methods used for controlling weeds are manual weeding and mulch. The cost for this is included in the wider horticulture contract and not specifically broken down.
5. If the council has stopped spraying, has it had any complaints for not well-maintained green spaces (or example, invasive and pernicious weeds) in the past 5 years and how many?
Please provide the number of complaints for each year separately.
The GLA is not aware of any complaints regarding the lack of maintenance of green spaces across the GLA estate.
6. Has the council made any pledge to reduce or stop the usage of pesticides and if so, what strategies does the council have in place to reduce or stop the use of these pesticides?
Please provide details on the action plan including dates and costings where possible.
Please note that the GLA is London's strategic government and does not operate in the same way as local Borough Councils.
You may wish to contact the individual local Borough Councils.
If you have any further questions relating to this matter, please contact us, quoting reference MGLA220923-6943.