I am writing to enquire about the Council’s use of herbicides in 2024.

1. Does the Council, or contractors acting on behalf of the Council, use herbicides in the following areas:
a) Parks and green spaces: Yes
b) Cemeteries: Yes (along Cemetery footpaths in 2 of our open cemeteries)
c) Playing fields: No
d) Road verges and roundabouts: No
e) Hard surfaces such as pavements and highways: Yes
f) Housing estates: Yes

2. What volume of herbicides did the Council, or contractors acting on behalf of the Council, use from 1st January to 31st December 2024? Please answer in litres or kilograms.
In the specified period, Wokingham Borough Highways used 61 litres of herbicide.
Parks and Open Spaces team: 459.60L
Countryside Services: 255ml of glyphosate, mixed at 15% for brush application on freshly cut tree stumps.

3. Does the council, or contractors acting on behalf of the Council, use glyphosate-based herbicides?
Yes.

4. How much money did the Council spend on costs associated to buying and using herbicides from 1st January to 31st December 2024? Please include all costs, including but not limited to; the purchase of pesticide products, application equipment and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), staff training and costs associated to outsourcing to contractors.
Wokingham Borough Highways have no information on the above.
Parks and Open spaces team have no information on the above.
Countryside Services: £9.15

5. How many complaints did the Council receive about weeds from 1st January to 31st December 2024?
In 2024, Wokingham Borough Highways received an estimated 263 customer complaints relating to weeds on the highway though the Report a Problem feature of the Wokingham Borough website, available at: Report a problem - https://www.wokingham.gov.uk/roads/report
Parks and Open spaces received 73 reports regarding weeds in 2024.
None in Countryside Service.

6. 
a) Does the Council have a policy in place aimed at reducing or ending the use of herbicides on land under its control?
No.

b) If YES, please provide a link to the policy or provide a hard copy if not available online.
Not applicable.