A Welsh council’s decision to continue using a weed killer that has been linked causing cancer has been described as a ‘kick in the teeth for residents’.
Torfaen council has decided to continue their use of a glyphosate-based weed killer on the invasive Japanese knotweed in a meeting this week, whilst continuing to monitor alternatives that are being developed. A motion to halt the use of the product and one to limit its use to preventing Japanese knotweed were both rejected before councillors voted to continue to continue using the glyphosate-based product.
A protest was organised out the council chamber in Pontypool ahead of the meeting, with campaigners urging council members not to vote for its continued use. In addition, around 700 people have signed a petition titled ‘stop spraying our towns with probable cancer-causing glyphosate’, which was presented to the council last year.
Councillor Fiona Cross who is a cabinet member for the environment said that there could be a ‘detrimental effect’ on the appearance of the county borough as well as structural issues if they were to stop using the weed killer without having a suitable alternative in place.
She also pointed out that the authority uses a low concentration substance which is endorsed by both the Welsh Government and European Union. Council leader Anthony Hunt backed up the previous statements saying the council must take a pragmatic approach but added that if a ‘better alternative’ was to become available, then the council ‘should look to use that.’
Independent councillor David Thomas, on the other hand, stated that the council should not take ‘unnecessary risks’ by using the weed killer and called for it to be scrapped. Councillor Elizabeth Haynes put forward a motion for the authority to stop using the product but an amended version was voted down. A second motion was proposed by Conservative councillor Huw Bevan, which called for the council to continue using the weed killer but not in ‘high public footfall’ areas.
Cllr Bevan said he understood there is ‘no other effective treatment’ for the invasive weed, but called for the authority to further limit the product’s use elsewhere. This motion was also rejected.
Campaigner Terry Banfield said the decision is a “total kick in the teeth for residents.”
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