Stop the use of pesticides to control plant growth in Milton Keynes.

There is simply no need to spray poisons in our streets, verges, parks and schools where they risk harming our residents, their dogs and children in particular, bees, butterflies and other wildlife, and running off into our waterways.

Safe and sustainable alternatives for weed control are available, where necessary.

At present, Milton Keynes City Council and the Parks Trust spray pesticides on pavements, the edges of paths and roads, around signs and trees, on shrub beds and under hedges. You sometimes see a group of Parks Trust sprayers in our valley parks and a MKCC vehicle, with a massive drum of pesticides on the back, spraying in our quiet residential streets. Landscaping contractors regularly spray pesticides in schools and sports grounds. 

The term ‘pesticide’ includes pesticides and herbicides, known as weedkillers.

The most commonly used pesticide, Roundup, is harmful to bees and butterflies, damages soil health, and is strongly suspected of causing non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and neurological disorders, e.g. Parkinson’s disease, in humans.

It is also associated to developmental and endocrine issues, and particularly affects children and the elderly.  Children are particularly vulnerable to pesticides because they absorb pesticides more easily and they are less able to deal with the toxins.

Wild bees, butterflies, other pollinators and wildlife are in critical decline, a potential catastrophe for us all. One way to help combat this pollinator decline is to encourage them in urban areas. Milton Keynes has over 9000 acres of public green space - our parks, our school and sports grounds and the most generous verges in the UK could form a network of wildlife friendly habitats. This will only work if we stop spraying pesticides in our city.

Elsewhere, some countries and many cities have already banned urban pesticide use to help protect insects and human health.

• France banned all use of pesticides in public spaces in 2017
• In Canada, 170 cities and towns are pesticide-free, some of them having been so for more than 30 years
• More than 100 towns and cities across the UK have either phased-out their use or taken significant steps to reduce usage including boroughs of London and Manchester, Cambridge, Cheltenham and St Albans
•  Birmingham has banned the use of pesticides in its parks and green spaces.

These and other examples from around the world prove beyond doubt that these chemicals are not needed.

As well as being unnecessary, pesticide use in urban areas is unpopular.

Public polling commissioned by Pesticide Action Network UK (PAN UK) and Sum of Us reveals that 68% of people think that their local schools, parks, playgrounds and other open spaces should be pesticide-free. A local survey of residents revealed that 75% of Loughton and 70% of Woburn Sands respondents want the spraying to stop.

Ending pesticide use in Milton Keynes is an achievable goal that would be a massive win for the health of both our residents, pets and wildlife. 

This petition is supported by :

• Prof Michael Antoniou, Professor of Molecular Genetics and Toxicology, Head of Gene Expression and Therapy Group,            Kings College London

• Professor Dave Goulson, University of Sussex

• Parkinson’s UK
• Butterfly Conservation
• PAN UK (Pesticides Action Network)
• MK CAN (Climate Action Network)
• MK Green Party 

Contact :- pesticidefree_miltonkeynes@yahoo.com

References:

• Pesticide Free Towns - success stories
• Pesticide Action Network - guide for Local Authorities
• Green Flag Award - alternatives to herbicides
• Pesticide Free Towns - campaign guide
• Woburn Sands Residents - survey results
• Meta study shows glyphosate increases risk of Lymphoma by 41%