Use of Herbicides in Recent Years

I am writing to enquire about the Council's use of herbicides in recent years.



This follows on from:

FOI Reference number: 11374777,

Date request received: 7 January 2025

Date of decision: 3 February 2025

Which was about, '…the Council's use of herbicides in 2024'



1. Between 2021 and the present time, has it consistently been true that…

1.1. …Lincolnshire County Council (LCC) has not used herbicide in these areas:

a)   Parks and green spaces?

b)   Cemeteries?

c)   Playing fields?

1.2. …responsibility for herbicide use in these areas has been a District Council function:

a)   Parks and green spaces?

b)   Cemeteries?

c)   Playing fields?



2. Between 2021 and the present time, has it consistently been true that…

2.1. …Lincolnshire County Council (LCC) has been responsible for herbicide use in these areas:

d)   Road verges and roundabouts?

e)   Hard surfaces such as pavements and highways?

f)    Housing estates?

2.2. …District Councils have not had the function of herbicide use in these areas:

d)   Road verges and roundabouts?

e)   Hard surfaces such as pavements and highways?

f)    Housing estates?



3. Unlike F.O.I. 11374777 where we asked about the cost of the herbicide, which was not known to LCC, our questions now are about the total costs, to Lincolnshire County Council of all of the spraying and associated activities.

3.1. Please give these costs for each of these financial years:

* 2021-2022

* 2022-2023

* 2023-2024

* 2024-2025

* 2025-2026 (to date)

3.2. Because the spraying of herbicides tends to be seasonal, with very little in the winter months, please, as best as you can, give the costs for each year from 1st January to 31st December:

* 2021

* 2022

* 2023

* 2024

* 2025 (to date)

* Current estimate for 2026



4. For F.O.I. 11374777 one response was, '4. This expenditure is managed by our term contractor, Balfour Beatty Living Places'.

Please say which contractor(s) have been employed in each of the following financial years:

* 2021-2022

* 2022-2023

* 2023-2024

* 2024-2025

* 2025-2026 (to date)



5. For F.O.I. 11374777 one response was, '5. We do not capture complaints in relation to weeds with the use of herbicides in parks and green spaces, cemeteries, playing fields, road verges and roundabouts, hard surfaces such as pavements and highways and housing estates.'

My questions here are:

5.1. 'Why are such complaints not recorded?'

5.2. 'Are there any plans to record such complaints?'

1.1 Lincolnshire County Council is not responsible for Parks and green spaces, Cemeteries and Playing fields. We have therefore not used herbicides in these areas.

1.2 Within Lincolnshire, District Councils are responsible for Parks and green spaces, Cemeteries and Playing fields.

2.1. Between 2021 and the present time Lincolnshire County Council has been responsible for herbicide use on highways assets in accordance with our policy documents.

2.2 We have service level agreements with certain District Councils who may carry out weed spraying operations on highways assets in accordance with our policy documents on our behalf.

3.1 The budget allocation for each year is as follows

• 2021/22 - £373,345
• 2022/23 - £385,025
• 2023/24 - £430,387
• 2024/25 - £426,195
• 2025/26 - £433,912

3.2 the budget allocation and spend is the same as operations are carried out between April and November of each financial year

• 2021 - £373,345
• 2022 - £385,025
• 2023 - £430,387
• 2024 - £426,195
• 2025 - £433,912
• 2026 - Budgets have not yet been set for 2026/2027.

4. Balfour Beatty has been responsible for these operations from 2021/2022 to current date

5.1 We capture transactions regarding weeds in highways asset areas only. We do not capture complaints in relation to weeds with the use of herbicides in parks and green spaces, cemeteries, playing fields, road verges and roundabouts, hard surfaces such as pavements and highways and housing estates.

5.2 There are no plans to capture complaints in relation to weeds with the use of herbicides in parks and green spaces, cemeteries, playing fields, road verges and roundabouts, hard surfaces such as pavements and highways and housing estates