Hove councillor 'inundated' by messages on overgrown weeds

People in Hangleton say weeds and other vegetation has been left to grow to almost waist-height along streets, making mobility difficult for some.

Councillors Dawn Barnett and Nick Lewry, who represent Hangleton and Knoll on Brighton and Hove City Council, said they have been “inundated” with phone calls and messages from angry residents over the issue.

Cllr Barnett said trees and bushes in parts of the ward have engulfed the pavement, with residents walking in the road to get past, and pinned the blame on the council’s “stupid” rewilding efforts.

She said: “It’s not just grass, it’s twigs and everything that’s growing up, and residents and I are furious about it.

“You can’t even walk along parts of Hangleton Road. Residents are paying their council tax - why should they be forced to go out and clear it themselves.

“All they are doing by leaving this long grass is encouraging dogs to run over and do their business in it. It’s awful, it’s a disgrace, it’s ridiculous.”

Shrubs on Clarke Avenue had grown to waist height, Cllr Barnett said

Cllr Barnett said that if the council stopped building housing on greenfield sites there would be no need to rewild parks and spaces around trees in the city.

She said: “Let those areas be green spaces and let them have the rewilding there. We don’t need it on public highways and making the whole area look a disgrace.

“The council need to get the basics right because they’re not dealing with the pavements and they’re not dealing with the roads.

“Every other city has had cutbacks to services, but no other city has been left in this state.”

She suggested that those who have been sentenced to community service should be drafted to help clear the spaces of vegetation for residents.

“As far as I’m concerned, they could be out there clearing the graffiti off buildings and clearing the weeds out of the gutters,” Cllr Barnett said.

Brighton and Hove City Council said it takes the safety of residents seriously and that the removal of weeds is more labour-intensive since a cross-party decision to stop using harmful chemicals to kill them.

A spokesman said: “In the face of the biodiversity and ecological emergency, a three-year plan was developed to end the use of toxic weed killer in all the city’s parks, open spaces, pavements, verges and housing land.

“The decision to stop using toxic chemicals will allow more habitats for insects and pollinators, an essential element in creating a more biodiverse city.

“Since then, the council has tried a number of environmentally friendly weed removal methods. Last year, we conducted a very successful trial of an industrial-grade weed strimmer, so we’ve bought more this year and these are proving very effective.

“The council still has some unfilled seasonal posts for weeding. We are continuing to advertise them and have already advertised them a number of times.

“There is a national shortage of manual workers that is continuing from last year, affecting all industries from hospitality to retail as well as the council.”

The council also said it was investing money in working with community groups and supporting community tidy-ups and weeding by providing hoes, gloves and bags.

Local groups can get involved by emailing communitycleanup@brighton-hove.gov.uk