Cheshire East Council bans strimmers and opts for herbicides instead

Council staff have been told to use weedkiller instead of stirmmers to maintain the grass around shrubs which can’t be reached by a lawnmower in urban areas.

But resident Sean Baguley, who spotted long patches of dead grass at Rainow Village Green, says the use of weedkiller looks ‘awful’ and will be more harmful to wildlife.

Sean, 58, who lives on Sugar Lane, Rainow, said: “It just looks awful and the weedkiller can’t be good for hedgehogs and slugs.

“There is a village green around the back of my house and the weedkiller can’t do the ground any good either.

“There are just stripes of dead grass everywhere, it looks dreadful.”

Father-of-three Sean dismissed the idea of strimmers as dangerous.

Sean, who has lived in the house on Sugar Lane with wife Jill for 16 years, said: “That’s rubbish.

“Strimmers are used everywhere, which they wouldn’t be if they were dangerous. I’ve never seen the council using strimmers anyway.

“I emailed them but was just told the weedkiller was not dangerous.”

Read in full: http://www.macclesfield-express.co.uk/news/council-in-row-over-weedkiller-11372842

Replies

Jon Ward May 25, 2016 at 1:35pm

I live in Cheshire and work in Macclesfield a lot of the time. The Poor use of glyphosate has made many areas look a mess for a while now, graveyards for example have a foot of the verges sprayed regularly. I am coming more and more to the conclusion that I can manage without glyphosate I am not sure how Cheshire council have come to the conclusion that it is better than a strimmer for long grass. I am hoping they will donate one of their old strimmers to me though if they don't use them anymore.
PRO

Gary RK May 25, 2016 at 3:19pm

Like many solutions, the effectiveness is down the Operative strimming or applying the pesticide.

The risk assemement needed will often favour the Glypho approach and it is one we action at many sites where strimming introduces too many issues - ie packed business parks, proximity of glass doors/walls, general public in close proximity, bark damage etc

I've seen cr*p strimming and I've seen foot wide pesticide strips. Neither are acceptable.

I think it is too easy to criticise (and make a storm in a tea cup like that Report) until you've walked in those shoes and dealt with the issues. You can please some of the people some of the time, but never all of the people all of the time.....
Andrew Midgley May 25, 2016 at 5:37pm

Best way to go round shrubs is hooking. More environmentally friendly than Round Up and a damn sight quieter than a strimmer.
PRO

Andy May 26, 2016 at 9:58am

Is this health and safety or liability gone mad. Surely we should be moving away from chemicals?

Mind you round here it would be nice if the councils just cut the grass .... right now they'll need a combine harvester as some public open spaces haven't yet had a single cut!