Agenda item - Motions on Notice

Agenda item

Motions on Notice

The following motions have been placed on the agenda in the order received; up to 60 minutes shall be allowed for debates on motions on notice:

 

1.         From Councillor McConville, Leader of the Labour Party

 

This Council notes:

·         There has been a 60% increase in the use of pesticides such as glyphosate in the UK since 1990.

·         Italy and Portugal have banned the use of glyphosate [or glyphosate-based weed killers] and France is working towards this by 2021, Germany in 2023.

·         In the UK many councils have banned the use of glyphosate: Brighton, Bristol, Croyden, Trafford and Lewes are but a few.

·         That since the verdict against Monsanto, producers of Roundup, in America there has been work in many other local authorities to phase out the use of pesticides from their practice.

·         That glyphosate was listed as a probable carcinogen in 2015 by the International Agency for the Research of Cancer (IARC)

·         That recent studies published in ScienceDirect show a 41% increased risk of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma caused by exposure from glyphosate-based weed killers and products 

 

This Council believes:

·       There is evidence to suggest that glyphosate and a wide range of other herbicides and pesticides may be harmful to human health

·       The use of pesticides and weed killers reduces biodiversity, impacting negatively on insects, birds and bees, in a time when the world is losing 2.5% of its insect population per-year.

·       Harmful weed killer residues can creep into the food chain.

·       Pets and children should not be playing in parks treated with such chemicals.

 

This Council resolves to:

·       Move towardsphasing out the use of all pesticides and weed killers in council owned parks, gardens and play areas.

·       Trial pesticide-free alternatives to control weeds in these areas. These might include; biodegradable foam or hot steam treatments on weeds.

·       To report the outcomes of these trials to the Climate and Ecological Emergency working group for discussion and recommendation within 12 months.

·       Grant an exception to the above ‘phasing out’ regarding the control of Japanese knotweed, or other invasive species, where there are currently no effective mechanical techniques available. For these plants glyphosate will be stem-injected, rather than sprayed, to reduce its spread in the environment.

·        Grant an exception on sprays only in relation to Giant Hogweed where it’s not safe to be dug out or safely removed by other means or where invasive plants are too small to be stem injected.

·           It is recognized that herbicides are required for the control of weeds in fine turf such as bowling greens and tennis courts. Any chemical use will be kept to an absolute minimum and alternative methods of control, trialed when and if they become available.

·       Write to the secretary of state for the environment to inform the government of this Council’s opposition to glyphosate-based pesticides and to call for a UK-wide programme to phase out use once trials have been concluded and viable alternatives have been introduced for weed control across the District.

 

2.    From Councillor Whybrow, Leader of the Green party

 

To request the Audit and Governance Committee to consider a change in the constitution so as to amend rule 3.1 of The Call – In Procedure Rules (parts 6.3 and 7.3 of the constitution) so as to read:-

 

The Head of Paid Service, on advice from the Monitoring Officer, will determine whether or not a call-in is valid. In order to be valid, the call-in must meet all of the criteria in (a) to (g), plus at least one of the criteria in (h) to (m).”

 

And also to amend rule 3.2 of The Call – In Procedure Rules (parts 6.3 and 7.3 of the constitution) so as to read:-

 

The call-in must also meet one or more of the following criteria…”

 

And to report back to the Council with their recommendations”

 

 

Minutes:

1.         From Councillor McConville, Leader of the Labour Party

 

Councillor McConville outlined his motion which was set out in the agenda.

 

Proposed by Councillor Connor McConville

Seconded by Councillor David Monk and

 

Resolved that this Council:

·         Move towards phasing out the use of all pesticides and weed

killers in council owned parks, gardens and play areas.

·         Trial pesticide-free alternatives to control weeds in these areas.

These might include; biodegradable foam or hot steam

treatments on weeds.

·         To report the outcomes of these trials to the Climate and

Ecological Emergency working group for discussion and

recommendation within 12 months.

·         Grant an exception to the above ‘phasing out’ regarding the

control of Japanese knotweed, or other invasive species, where

there are currently no effective mechanical techniques available.

For these plants glyphosate will be stem-injected, rather than

sprayed, to reduce its spread in the environment.

·         Grant an exception on sprays only in relation to Giant Hogweed

where it’s not safe to be dug out or safely removed by other

means or where invasive plants are too small to be stem

injected.

·         It is recognized that herbicides are required for the control of

weeds in fine turf such as bowling greens and tennis courts.

Any chemical use will be kept to an absolute minimum and

alternative methods of control, trialed when and if they become

available.

·         Write to the secretary of state for the environment to inform the

government of this Council’s opposition to glyphosate-based

pesticides and to call for a UK-wide programme to phase out use once trials have been concluded and viable alternatives have been introduced for weed control across the District.

 

(Voting: For 27; Against 0; Abstentions 0)

 

 

2.         From Councillor Whybrow, Leader of the Green party

 

Councillor Whybrow outlined her motion which was set out in the agenda.

 

Proposed by Councillor Lesley Whybrow

Seconded by Councillor Rebecca Shoob and

 

Upon being put the motion was LOST.

 

(Voting: For 13; Against 14; Abstentions 0)