Pesticides and herbicides are devastating our wildlife. We are losing bees and insects at alarming rates and these are vital species for pollinating our crops. 

The chemicals in these products are also harmful to our health. There is growing evidence that glyphosate is a higher health risk than previously assumed, and that the World Health Organisation has recently upgraded glyphosate as being potentially cancer causing. 
 
Other local councils in Britain have already decided to ban the use of glyphosate and other chemicals from all their own operations. This is in the wake of large cities all over the world - such as Barcelona, Hamburg and Paris - who have already decided on a ban, and the Netherlands and Denmark which have banned the use of glyphosate in urban areas.

 In light of the known risk to human health, we ask that Chorley Council: 
1)      Pledges to cut out the use of glyphosate completely from all its in-house operations within one year.

2)      Consider the one year period until the ban takes effect as a testing period, during which the council will test non-chemical and mechanical alternatives to glyphosate. Banning glyphosate will not result in increased use of other chemical weed-killers.

3)      Use the opportunity of the end of the current weed spraying contracts upon expiration and to request the contractor ceases to use glyphosate, or find another local contractor who will abide by a glyphosate ban.

4)      Grant an exception to the above ban regarding the control of Japanese knotweed, or other invasive species, where there are currently no effective mechanical techniques available. However, in this case glyphosate will only be stem-injected, rather than sprayed, to reduce its spread in the environment.

By stopping the council spraying these products on our public spaces, wildlife will be able to thrive and we can live healthier lives free of toxic chemicals.

Thank you for your support,

Chorley Green Party