Issue - meetings

The phasing out of the use of pesticides on Council-owned land is an objective within the council’s draft Climate Emergency Action Plan.  The draft Pesticides Policy and action plan (attached as Annexe 1) aims to start the process of reducing pesticide usage by the council wherever possible with the ambition of being pesticide free in three years.

This report asks the Executive to recommend the Pesticides Policy to Council for approval, whilst recognising the potential financial and reputational implications in delivering this Policy and action plan. 

Recommendation

That the Executive recommends the Pesticides Policy and action plan for adoption by the Council, and to note the following:

The Pesticides Policy and action plan will be a living document and following adoption, will be amended and updated, to reflect ongoing changes in legislation, industry practices relating to advances in technology and product availability in respect of alternatives to pesticides.

The Executive RESOLVED to recommend the Pesticides Policy and action plan to Council for adoption, and noted the following:

The Pesticides Policy and action plan will be a living document and following adoption, will be amended and updated, to reflect ongoing changes in legislation, industry practices relating to advances in technology and product availability in respect of alternatives to pesticides.

Reason: to reduce and phase out pesitcide usage by the Council within the borough.

This matter is recommended to Full Council for decision.

44.1    Cllr Liz Townsend, Portfolio Holder for Economic Development; Parks, Countryside and Leisure, and Dunsfold Park, introduced the proposed Pesticides Policy and Action Plan, which aimed to begin the process of reducing pesticide use by the Council where possible with the ambition of being pesticide free in three years. The Policy responded to the growing movement across the globe opposing pesticide use; the Wildlife Trusts report (July 2020) calling for action to reverse the decline of insects by halving the use of chemical pesticides by 2030; and the petition from Frensham residents last year and complaints from residents about the harmful effects of pesticides. Some selective trials using alternative pest control methods had been carried out in four areas in the borough, and more trials were planned for 2021.

44.2    Cllr Steve Williams and Cllr Follows commended the Pesticides Policy and Action Plan and thanked Cllr Townsend and Officers for the work they had done to bring this Policy forward. It was supported by all the Groups on the Executive, and in holding trials of alternative approaches in the wards of the Lead Portfolio Holder, and the Portfolio for Environment, they had been in the front line of responding to residents’ comments. Cllr Follows noted that some areas within Waverley were managed by the County Council, and therefore not subject to the same approach and Policy as being followed by Waverley.

44.3    The Executive RESOLVED to recommend the Pesticides Policy and action plan to Council for adoption, and noted that the Pesticides Policy and action plan will be a living document and following adoption, will be amended and updated, to reflect ongoing changes in legislation, industry practices relating to advances in technology and product availability in respect of alternatives to pesticides.

Reason: to reduce and phase out pesticide usage by the Council within the borough.