When a council makes progress on going pesticide-free it can take a variety of forms. Key positive steps include: passing a council Motion, introducing a policy or making some other kind of public commitment to reduce and ultimately end pesticide use; and commissioning thorough trials to explore non-chemical alternatives.
While these are important and necessary milestones on the road to going pesticide-free, ultimately what matters is that councils stop using pesticides on areas of land under their control. PAN UK’s three-year phase out plan, which has been followed successfully by many UK councils, advocates that councils stop applying pesticide in parks and green spaces in year one and then tackle streets and pavements in years two and three.