Council proposal to use glyphosate to tidy up pavements criticised over potential harm to humans and wildlife
Cornwall is famed for its glorious gardens and verdant landscapes but a bitter row has broken out over a plan to tackle a less glamorous type of vegetation – roadside weeds.
The unitary authority has announced plans to use the controversial herbicide glyphosate to tidy up pavements and kerbsides, after largely phasing out its use over the last decade amid concerns about potential harm to humans and the peninsula’s rich ecosystems.
Thousands of people have signed petitions against the scheme and on Tuesday dozens of protesters converged on county hall in Truro for a demonstration before a meeting at which the issue was debated.
They claimed using the herbicide could put people and animals, particularly bees, at risk and harm beloved beauty spots including the surfing beaches of the north and winding river systems of the south.
