A working party is being set up by Marlborough town council to examine the effects of herbicide weedkillers — in particular the use of Roundup — on public open spaces, roadsides and possibly private properties.
It comes at the suggestion of Councillor Richard Pitts, who chairs the council’s Amenities and Open Spaces Committee, after questions raised by Councillor Nick Fogg went answered at Wiltshire Council’s last meeting.
Mr Fogg was alerted about Roundup, recognised as the world’s best-selling weedkiller, by agricultural expert Dr Sam Page after it was sprayed by Wiltshire Council workmen on grass verges in the vicinity of St Mary’s Infants School, Marlborough.
Dr Page believes that school headteachers and parents should be asked in advance if they condone the use of Roundup, which the town council itself refuses to use on sites it is responsible for.
Roundup, which is made by Monsanto, has been claimed to cause potential birth defects in research carried out in laboratory conditions by scientists in more than one country because its it contains the herbicide glyphosate.
Mr Fogg’s questions were not tabled in time for answers to be given, but Councillor Dick Tonge, who is responsible for highways and transport in the county, has now revealed that Roundup is used in some 22 towns, Marlborough included.
“The council understands the concerns regarding the use of herbicides and continually reviews its working practises to ensure they are effective and reasonable,” said Mr Tonge.
He pointed out that the use of Roundup had been raised in the European Parliament, which, as from last month, is carrying out a re-evaluation of the use of glyphosate — following some 359 scientific studies.
The risk assessment, being made by Germany, “observes that the report contains little new evidence but essentially marks a profound disagreement with the toxicological and regulatory approaches globally applied.”
Now Mr Rich is to invite Dr Sam Page, representatives of gardening, allotments and the Marborough Commons organisations, together with the River Kennet group ARK, and its own head gardener to join a Marlborough working party to assess the issues.
“The town needs to make sure that all our green spaces are treated in the right way,” he declared.
Mr Fogg agrees that the evidence for and against the use of Roundup needs to be examined before it or any weedkiller is used in public places and will urge Wiltshire to take further action.
“We need a thorough review,” he told Marlborough News Online. “And if weedkillers are to be used in the vicinity of schools then headteachers and parents need to be informed in advance so they know what is taking place and can object if they so wish.”
