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New machinery to help with weeding
We’re reviewing how we maintain pavements across the city and have recently trialled new machinery to help with weeding.
This includes mechanical sweepers, weed rippers and specialist strimmers with weed ripping brushes.
Councillor Tim Rowkins and Councillor Theresa Fowler recently met with members of the Cityclean team to inspect the new machinery and hear their feedback.
They concluded that significant improvements have been made using the new machinery which will be used to accelerate weeding over the next few months.
Looking after our pavements
We know that weeds across Brighton & Hove have increased since the committee decision to end the use of glyphosate in 2019. We know that we must urgently get the situation back under control.
Our priority is to ensure our streets, pavements and environment are safe and accessible for residents and to limit damage to highway infrastructure.
We have a team dedicated to weeding and maintaining street access across the city and we’re trialling new methods and machinery to help us with weeding this season.
Early recruitment success
This year we also started recruitment early and filled the roles we were advertising.
Unlike in previous years, early recruitment success meant we were able to get ahead with weeding and pavement maintenance before the weather warmed up.
Our street cleansing operatives are also helping with maintaining pavements as part of their rounds and operatives usually based along the seafront help out with weeding on quieter days.
Prioritising hotspots
We’ve established a traffic light system to identify areas where weeding and pavement maintenance will be prioritised while we trial new weeding methods.
Streets and highways across Brighton & Hove are ranked into red, amber and green zones based on information provided by our highways and street cleansing teams, as well as feedback from residents.
Red zones are areas where access, trip hazards and damage to highways are more likely which our team will tackle as a priority.
Additional tools to stay on top of weeding
Councillor Tim Rowkins, Chair of the City Environment, South Downs and The Sea Committee, said: “We know that dealing with weeds on our pavements is a top priority for residents and so we are looking at several additional tools to accelerate our weeding and ensure our pavements are accessible for our residents.
“I have been regularly meeting with our street team and I was pleased to be able to inspect the new machinery. The brush weeder was particularly impressive.
“Our new traffic light system and machinery have meant we’ve been able to tackle weeding more effectively this season, but there is still a lot of progress to be made. We look forward to reviewing and sharing future weeding plans with residents.”
Thinking about biodiversity
While we have a responsibility to ensure our streets and pavements are safe and accessible, plants we often call weeds, can benefit us.
Plants help to cool our city, absorb rainfall and help with air pollution.
By allowing plants such as dandelions, common knapweed and red deadnettle to flower, we’re able to create joined-up habitats that provide food and shelter for local insects and wildlife.
Plants provide important pollen and nectar resources, which help feed our hungry birds, bats, amphibians and mammals, including hedgehogs.
Big Clean Up weekend
The Brighton & Hove ‘Big Clean Up’ weekend is just around the corner!
We’ve organised events across the city on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 July to clean up the city for summer.
Councillors across Brighton & Hove will be out in their wards tackling notorious ‘grot spots’ and cleaning up their neighbourhoods.
From residential streets in Bevendean to Easthill Park in Portslade, this is a city-wide event to clean up Brighton & Hove ahead of the busy summer months.
Anyone who’d like to get involved in the Big Clean Up are welcome to join one of our councillor-led litter-picking, weeding and cleaning events.
