Southwark cuts chemical use

Over the past 16 months, the Education and Leisure Department of the London Borough of Southwark has worked on the development of a pesticide reduction strategy. In conjunction with the Pesticides Trust [now PAN UK] in the framework of the Local Authorities Project, Southwark focused on its grounds maintenance contracts to bring about the elimination or significant reduction of pesticide use.  
    The strategy forms part of the Council's Local Agenda 21 strategy which has been given the political support of Council Members, and which provides a context within which the pesticide strategy sits. Its implementation is seen as a step towards a more sustainable use of resources in grounds maintenance operations.
    All pesticide use in grounds maintenance and arboricultural operations are addressed. The principle aim of the strategy is to allow for effective management of pests by means of non-chemical control techniques. The use of pesticides is not totally banned, but is tightly controlled by qualified council officers to situations where a pest problem exists which needs to be solved and there is absolutely no alternative to chemical pesticides. Pesticides allowed for use are those deemed to be least hazardous to health and the environment.
    A particularly positive aspect of Southwark's approach has been the consecutive  implementation of the pesticide reduction strategy on the ground as the political procedures were running their course. Over a year ago the newly written grounds maintenance contract specified that pesticides would not be used as a matter of course. Contractors bidding for this work were willing to accept different ways of working (see PN 31 p.10).
    Southwark's refreshing approach to pesticide reduction reversed common assumptions that pesticides must be used to do a job.  This was not entirely free of problems, but Southwark has probably moved further towards sustainable grounds maintenance than any other local authority working with the Pesticides Trust.
    The Pesticide (reduction) strategy document lays out clearly and in detail background information explaining the strategy, what pesticides are and the relationship between this strategy and other environmental strategies including nature conservation. It goes on to provide detailed procedures for authorising exceptional pesticide use, the application of pesticides, monitoring of contractors operations and the training requirements for pesticide applicators and client officers.
    The well presented strategy document published by Southwark Education and Leisure caught the eye of the organiser of the BASIS training scheme for local authority decision makers on pesticide use. It will apparently now be incorporated into the BASIS Pest Management course. (MD)

Pesticide reduction strategy, Southwark Council, Education and Leisure Services, 15 Spa Road, London SE16 3QW.

[This article first appeared in Pesticides News No. 38, December 1997, page 18]