Dear Sir/Madam

Thank you for your request for information about :

Use of pesticides by council

Received on 04/07/2022

This request has been formally logged in our FOI management system and has been assigned the reference REQ10311.
You should receive a reply to your request within the statutory time limit of 20 working days.

Please remember to quote the reference number REQ10311 in any future communications.

Yours sincerely,
Information Management

Mae’r Cyngor yn croesawu gohebiaeth yn Gymraeg, Saesneg neu yn y ddwy iaith. Byddwn yn cyfathrebu â chi yn ôl eich dewis. Ni fydd gohebu yn Gymraeg yn arwain at oedi.

The Council welcomes correspondence in English or Welsh or both, and will respond to you according to your preference. Corresponding in Welsh will not lead to delay.

Disclaimer/Ymwadiad

This email contains information intended for the addressee only and may be confidential, the subject of legal or professional privilege, or be otherwise protected from disclosure. If you are not the intended recipient of this message, please notify the sender immediately and do not disclose, distribute or copy the email to any other party. This email and any attached file are the property of Newport City Council.

When you email Newport City Council, you consent to the Council monitoring and reading any such emails for the purposes of security and legislative compliance. For the full disclaimer please access http://www.newport.gov.uk/disclaimer.

Mae'r e-bost hwn yn cynnwys gwybodaeth y bwriedir ar gyfer y derbynnydd yn unig a gall fod yn gyfrinachol, yn destun ragorfraint gyfreithiol neu broffesiynol, neu fel arall wedi’i diogelu rhag cael ei rhyddhau. Os nad chi yw derbynnydd bwriadedig y neges hon, a fyddech cystal â rhoi gwybod i'r anfonwr ar unwaith a pheidio â datgelu, dosbarthu neu gopïo’r e-bost i unrhyw barti arall. Mae’r e-bost hon ac unrhyw ffeiliau atodedig yn eiddo i Gyngor Dinas Casnewydd.

Pan fyddwch yn anfon e-bost at Gyngor Dinas Casnewydd, rydych yn cydsynio i’r Cyngor fonitro a darllen unrhyw e-byst o’r fath at ddibenion cydymffurfio â diogelwch ac â deddfwriaeth. I weld yr ymwadiad llawn ewch i http://www.newport.gov.uk/ymwadiad

Dear Juliet Ferguson,

Thank you for your recent request for information which I have enclosed
below for ease of reference. Your request has been treated in accordance
with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and/or the Environmental
Information Regulations 2004.

Your Request :  REQ10311

I can confirm that we do hold information that falls within the scope of
your request. The answers to your questions have been provided in Red Text
below

1. Do you manage your open spaces yourself or are they are outsourced?

The Council have trained operatives across its different services who
manage all council resources.

2. If they are outsourced, what is the name of the company/companies that
manage them?

NA

3. What is your policy for weed control in the open spaces -parks, sports
fields, grass verges etc?

All countryside sites are managed for the benefit of nature whilst
ensuring public safety. Any non-native invasive species are removed where
possible.  

4. Do you use herbicides containing glyphosate eg Roundup,Weedol etc If
yes, what do you use What areas have been sprayed with herbicides
containing glyphosate?

The name of the herbicide products used by the council are

Roundup Provantage

Roundup Pro Active

HI LITE

Dual

They are applied using the No mix spot applicator lance system which
allows individual plants to be targeted

The Council uses herbicides for the treatment of invasive species Japanese
Knotweed, Giant Knotweed and Giant Hogweed only. Physical removal of the
plant Giant Hogweed poses dangers to operatives due to the burns the plant
can cause to skin. Physical removal of the plant Japanese Knotweed plant
above ground is ineffective control method and physical removal of the
root system requires extensive excavation which would be impractical and
inappropriate on certain sites. Chemical is used with a lance system where
the chemical can if required by applied directly to individual plants.

5. What is your policy on the use of glyphosate?

We use Glyphosate for the treatment of the invasive species Japanese
Knotweed and Giant Hogweed only

6. What precautions were taken ahead of its use?

A risk assessment was completed and the following control measures were
put in place

Always consider the need to use chemicals or if an alternative method
could be sought.

All users to hold correct certification and qualifications relevant to the
applicator being used e.g. PA1, PA6 AW, INJ

Poison to be stored in appropriate containers and transported in
accordance with relevant certification and/or guidelines

All appliances are to be in a serviceable working order.

All pre use checks must be undertaken prior to use and appliances are to
be used in correct manner in accordance with relevant certification and/or
guidelines. 

Full PPE to be worn in accordance with certification and/or guidelines.
Suitable safety distance to be observed to applicator being used.

Chemical spill kits and decontamination kit to be carried in vehicle.

Staff and volunteers are to be informed of any R.A updates then trained
and signed off accordingly

7.For the calendar years 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022, please can you
tell me:

The volume of these herbicides you have you used The cost

On Average per year

Approx 25l of concentrated Round up @ £56.65

60 l of HI LITE @£96.10 per 5 litres

60 L of DUAL @ £113.75 per 5 litres

Costs are at current market value.

I hope this provides the information you were looking for; if there is any
further information that we can provide, please submit a further request.
If you have any queries about this email or if you are unhappy with the
service you have received in relation to your request and wish to make a
complaint or request a review of our decision, please contact me.

If you are not content with the subsequent outcome of your complaint, you
may apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision.
Generally, the ICO cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted the
Councils complaints procedure. The Information Commissioner can be
contacted at: The Information Commissioners Office, Wycliffe House, Water
Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.

For future reference, all Freedom of Information requests can now be
submitted via the link below.

[1]www.newport.gov.uk/foi

Regards

Sarah Jones

Information Management

Mae’r Cyngor yn croesawu gohebiaeth yn Gymraeg, Saesneg neu yn y ddwy
iaith. Byddwn yn cyfathrebu â chi yn ôl eich dewis. Ni fydd gohebu yn
Gymraeg yn arwain at oedi.

The Council welcomes correspondence in English or Welsh or both, and will
respond to you according to your preference. Corresponding in Welsh will
not lead to delay.

Disclaimer/Ymwadiad

This email contains information intended for the addressee only and may be
confidential, the subject of legal or professional privilege, or be
otherwise protected from disclosure. If you are not the intended recipient
of this message, please notify the sender immediately and do not disclose,
distribute or copy the email to any other party. This email and any
attached file are the property of Newport City Council.

When you email Newport City Council, you consent to the Council monitoring
and reading any such emails for the purposes of security and legislative
compliance. For the full disclaimer please access
http://www.newport.gov.uk/disclaimer.

Mae'r e-bost hwn yn cynnwys gwybodaeth y bwriedir ar gyfer y derbynnydd yn
unig a gall fod yn gyfrinachol, yn destun ragorfraint gyfreithiol neu
broffesiynol, neu fel arall wedi’i diogelu rhag cael ei rhyddhau. Os nad
chi yw derbynnydd bwriadedig y neges hon, a fyddech cystal â rhoi gwybod
i'r anfonwr ar unwaith a pheidio â datgelu, dosbarthu neu gopïo’r e-bost i
unrhyw barti arall. Mae’r e-bost hon ac unrhyw ffeiliau atodedig yn eiddo
i Gyngor Dinas Casnewydd.

Pan fyddwch yn anfon e-bost at Gyngor Dinas Casnewydd, rydych yn cydsynio
i’r Cyngor fonitro a darllen unrhyw e-byst o’r fath at ddibenion
cydymffurfio â diogelwch ac â deddfwriaeth. I weld yr ymwadiad llawn ewch
i http://www.newport.gov.uk/ymwadiad

References

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