As residents, workers, and volunteers within Hanover & Elm Grove, we are deeply concerned with the Council’s plans to reintroduce the pesticide glyphosate across the city, including in our area.

Research from recent years has followed previous conclusions drawn by bodies such as the World Health Organisation in suggesting that glyphosate is toxic to both humans and wildlife, with studies linking the pesticide to major health implications, and damage to wild bee colonies. Studies also suggest that glyphosate carries a very high contamination risk, finding traces of it in participants’ food, and drinking water, and urine.

It is not controversial to be concerned about glyphosate in Brighton & Hove. Indeed, this concern was shared by previous Council administrations. When the Council released a statement in June 2019 pledging to become a pesticide-free city, the statement included the declaration that “Glyphosate, commonly known by its original trade name Roundup, is a toxic herbicide”.

As a result of these concerns, we believe that Brighton & Hove City Council should allow Hanover & Elm Grove (and other areas) to opt-out of the use of glyphosate on our streets and outside of our homes.

We propose a targeted approach where weeds that are identified as a health and safety risk will be manually maintained and taken care of by the community, ensuring the Council’s stated accessibility concerns are fulfilled. This would also allow significant financial savings for the Council that could be reinvested into supporting community groups that have been let down by cuts to central funding.

We encourage the Council to look again at alternative, non-chemical weed management options for the whole city such as those proposed by the locally based Pesticide Action Network. But we implore the Council to listen to our concerns, and recognise that Hanover & Elm Grove does not want to see glyphosate used in our area.