Calling on Labour Council to follow Lib Dem lead and commit to pesticide phase-out

A Reading Liberal Democrat councillor is calling on Reading Borough Council to set out a formal plan to end its use of glyphosate weedkiller in public spaces — pointing to Lib Dem-run councils across the country that have already made the switch.

Cllr James Moore, Liberal Democrat councillor for Tilehurst Ward, has tabled a written question to the Labour-run council asking what progress has been made on reducing pesticide use since a council committee last considered the issue in July 2023 — and whether the administration will commit to a time-bound phase-out plan.

The question follows concerns raised by a local resident about the use of pesticides in Reading's parks, playgrounds, cemeteries, and housing estates.

Cllr Moore said: "Residents are rightly asking why Reading is still routinely spraying glyphosate across public spaces when other councils have shown it doesn't have to be this way. Bath & North East Somerset — run by the Liberal Democrats — has permanently banned glyphosate from its streets. Kingston upon Thames has eliminated chemical weed control from its parks and playgrounds entirely. These are not small, well-funded councils doing something exotic — they are councils that made a clear decision and followed through on it.

"Reading's Labour administration considered this issue in 2023 and agreed that any new weed control contract should require the contractor to work toward a glyphosate-free alternative. I want to know what that commitment has actually delivered — and whether the council is now ready to go further with a proper, published phase-out plan."

Reading Borough Council ran a year-long trial of alternative weed control methods in 2022, testing pelargonic acid, steam, hand removal, and acetic acid against glyphosate across Northumberland Avenue, Rabson's Recreation Ground, and Cintra Park. A report to the Housing, Neighbourhoods & Leisure Committee in July 2023 concluded that glyphosate remained the most cost-effective option, but committed to seeking alternatives through future contracts. No further public update has been provided since.

Almost half of UK councils are now taking some form of action to reduce or end pesticide use, according to Pesticide Action Network UK, which offers local authorities a free three-year phase-out framework that has been successfully adopted by councils across the country.

Cllr Moore added: "The cost difference between glyphosate and the alternatives is real, and I'm not going to pretend otherwise. But a phased plan — which is exactly what PAN UK offers for free — allows councils to make the transition sustainably. The question is whether Reading's Labour administration has the ambition to act, or whether residents will still be waiting for an answer in another two years' time."