Sefton Initiates Catch-Up Plans for Weed Treatments Affected by Weather Delays

Sefton’s second borough-wide weed spraying phase of the year is now underway.

Covering pavements and roads across the Borough's 620-mile network, this will be the second of four treatments for the year.

Contractors began spraying in March

Sefton Council’s contractors began spraying on schedule in March, but the eight-week process took considerably longer than it should have. This was mainly because of a period of prolonged wet weather at the commencement of the spraying season but also impacted by contractor resource availability.

Spraying is ineffective in rain as the treatment is washed away rather than killing back the weeds.

Accelerating the programme

Aware that this has meant weeds are more prominent than they should be in some parts of the borough, Sefton Council’s Street Cleansing Managers have met with the contractors. They have instructed them to accelerate the programme, continue with the second spray and ensure the task is fully resourced for the rest of the growing season.

Meanwhile, Council teams, who carry out the post-spray removals, will also be targeting key areas to support the catch-up that is underway. 

Poor weather

Cllr Peter Harvey, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member whose responsibilities include Streetscene and Waste, said:“Periods of poor weather have had an impact, and we are aware that in some areas the standards we and the people of Sefton rightly expect have not been met.

“We are now working closely with our contractors, and they will be speeding up the spraying programme to ensure they carry out all four sprays during this year’s growing season.

“They will also be providing us with daily reports to enable officers to monitor how the work is progressing and target any extra action needed.” 

“Council officers will also be carrying out more regular inspections to ensure quality standards are met." 

Frustration

Cllr Harvey added:“We understand the frustration this issue has caused in the affected areas and thank residents for their patience while this work is carried out to ensure improvements are made.” 

You can find out more about Sefton Council's work to tackle weeds here.