Ban the use of pesticides in urban areas in England, MPs and campaigners urge

MPs, councilors and campaigners are calling for a nationwide ban on the use of pesticides and herbicides in urban areas across England.

The coalition, led by the Pesticide Action Network (Pan UK) and the RSPB, said a “top-down” approach by the government would enable local authorities to reduce the use of dangerous chemicals to maintain public land, roads and pavements.

Launching the campaign in Westminster this week, the group said it would push for an MPs’ bill to be tabled in the next parliament, presenting a draft with proposals for a three-year phase-out.

Participants said it would boost biodiversity and health in England, amid warnings that the UK is one of the most depleted countries in the world.

Pesticide use in urban areas accounts for around 10% of total UK use – but is the second most common way people are exposed to them after diet, according to a Pan UK review.

Exposure to several of those commonly used by local councils has been linked to health conditions such as cancer, but they also affect urban wildlife such as birds, insects, bees and hedgehogs and contaminate their food sources , as well as water.

Pan UK’s Nick Mole said at the launch event: “There is absolutely no reason or justification for using them in our towns and cities.

“By ending the use of pesticides in urban areas, we will potentially reduce the exposure of millions of UK citizens to harmful chemicals.”

More than 100 UK local authorities have already reduced or eliminated the use of pesticides and herbicides in areas under their control, following the example of France and Luxembourg.

They resorted to a mix of solutions, including green manures, weed pullers, hot water, vinegar, mowing and hand weeding.

Highlighting the work of Lambeth Council, Mr Mole said: “You can walk around Brixton and see red-listed endangered plant species growing in the streets.”

But several local councils have dropped those efforts in recent months, citing issues such as cost, complaints about orderliness and concerns about sidewalk accessibility.

Demonstrators said a nationwide ban would help galvanize and support councils to implement alternatives.

“It would bring a lot more people together to find solutions, share costs, share experiences and get things done,” Mole said, adding that it could be “a real engine for change.”

But Liberal Democrat peer Wera Hobhouse warned that communicating policy to voters was key to changing public perceptions of pesticide use.

“Without that, without bringing people with us, it’s going to be very difficult,” she said.

Green MP Caroline Lucas said: “It’s really important that we get back to basics and talk about why it’s so important that we don’t have very dangerous pesticides like glyphosate sprayed on the streets, where children play, where people walk their dogs , where they enjoy urban wildlife.”

“They’re basically an unnecessary addition to a cocktail of chemicals we’re already exposed to on a daily basis,” she added.

Speaking about Cambridge City Council’s pesticide-free experience, Councilor Sam Carling said they had a “wildly successful” program where residents’ groups took control of weeds in their streets without herbicides.

“It was probably one of the best community initiatives we’ve ever set up,” he said.

But Ms Carling added that private gardens make up most of the area’s green space and outreach efforts to residents to consider ending their own pesticide use “isn’t really landing”.

“Bringing in a nationwide recall would really help improve the media profile of this and reduce home consumption,” he said.

Lucy Metcalfe, a lawyer at ClientEarth – which helped draft the private members’ bill, argued that the policy complies with legally binding government commitments such as the Global Biodiversity Framework, which includes a target to reduce pesticide use and of highly hazardous chemicals by at least half by 2030.

“It’s something the government has signed up to anyway,” she said.

A spokesperson for the Department for the Environment said: “We take all forms of pollution seriously and the Global Biodiversity Framework sets out our commitment to reduce the use of pesticides and highly hazardous chemicals by 2030.

“In parallel, in line with Defra’s 25-year Environment Plan, the forthcoming National Action Plan on the Sustainable Use of Pesticides (NAP) will set out our ambition to support pesticide users.”