Council ends its ban on weedkiller

Council leader Jim Logue called the ban “reckless and irresponsible”

A special meeting of the full council was called to discuss a motion raised by SNP group leader Jordan Linden seeking a on-off cut to 1,800 grassed areas, paid for with £300,000 drawn from Covid recovery funding.

The motion also called for additional grass cutting for cemeteries, greenspaces and other council land.

Although this motion was defeated by 40 votes to 33, the prevailing Labour/ Conservative joint amendment agreed to a grass cut.

In addition the council will also be reintroducing the previously banned use of glyphosate-based weedkiller on the ground no viable alternative had been found.

Council leader Jim Logue who said: ““I am delighted to overturn this decision on weedkiller – the most reckless and irresponsible decision a council committee has ever made

“Our green spaces have been plagued by weeds all summer long and this will finally allow us to tackle the problem.

“We’re also taking action to deal with grass cutting issues that residents have brought to our attention.

“The council meeting called by the SNP Group was nothing more than a political stunt and I hope they reflect on their behaviour and end their petty party politics.”

However, the SNP group, felt “vindicated” in calling the meeting due to the concession on grass cutting which was originally scaled back as a budget measure made in 2019.

Councillor Linden said: “I am proud we took bold and decisive action, to call a special council meeting, and to place the grass cutting issue at the heart of the councils agenda.

“This is an issue which local people have rightly been angered by and are passionate about.

“But I am disappointed the Labour and Conservative groups chose only to cut the 1800 zones that they previously decided to remove from the programme in their budget.

“They had the chance to back our motion which would have cut all grass owned by North Lanarkshire, including those 1800 zones that were previously maintained for decades, as well as cemeteries and green space and also delivered a long term review.”