'Just pull them out' - weed row in Cornwall escalates

Another example of the roadside weeds in Newquay
-Credit: (Image: Louis Gardner / Facebook)


News of a row in Newquay over growing weed problems on the town's streets has enraged CornwallLive readers. Last week, Conservative and Green Party councillors were at loggerheads.

The spat was sparked when Tory councillor Louis Gardner took a swipe at the Greens for their approach to weed control, accusing them of putting personal ideology before the town's welfare.

Councillor Gardner vented his frustration on Facebook, drawing attention to the surge in weeds and the lack of action to tackle them in Newquay. He stressed that it's the job of town and parish councils, not Cornwall Council, to keep weeds in check.

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He lambasted the decision to slash weed control by 90 per cent and restrict weed removal to certain areas like schools and GP surgeries.

But Mayor Drew Creek hit back, defending the Green Party's position and highlighting the risks of using chemical weedkillers such as Glyphosate. He contended that austerity measures imposed by the Tories have hit local services, resulting in neglected upkeep of grass verges and road networks.

A reader, Mrhunch writes: "People are so hung up about plants. I reckon they are really square and need to chill. Square lawns with 5cm grass is or uptighties."

While Rabidurko adds: "Councils aren’t allowed to use weedkillers anymore."

Mick6161 replies: "Nor it seems are the railways. But boiling water or steam are viable alternatives, or as suggested elsewhere here, get those doing community service to do it."

Joab says: "Crazy idea. How about this, if there are weeds growing near you and you don't like them, bend down and pull them out!! It's really quite easy."

Loladog believes: "This is what you get when a load of greens get a foot in the door. Quite a lot of roads now look a complete eyesore with grass and weeds growing everywhere with some as high as 2ft. This is not what we pay our taxes for."

Left Handed Dyslexia adds: "You have to remove the weeds because over the years by spraying weed killer the weeds have increased year on year. All the towns in Cornwall are the same and our homes have been devalued because of our councils not carrying this work. I'm looking forward to the winter this year I've had hay fever for the first time and it has lasted for months because of the grass pollen."

Made In Cornwall asks: "Makes you think where all our council tax goes. Every street and pavement could do with a good clean."

Although Robertcook welcomes nature: "Great to see some nature in town. What is the harm? We need to get over our obsession with neatness."

Rvna dismisses the issue: "Honestly with everything that the world has become, is this what we are worrying about now? How about, get the residents to manually remove weeds from the kerbside outside their homes and put the money saved towards cures for the various cancers that blight children and people under 60."

Mictorveldrew wirtes: "Stitch in time. Sweep the roads, remove the seeds before they root. Once they root they damage paths and roads which causes damage that's more costly to repair than it would have been to get the sweeper out in the first place. But hey, it's only taxpayers' money."

Johnnyringo adds: "Get people on community service out and about pulling up weeds."

Yorkshireskippy says: "I'd rather see green plants than spray poison around killing plant and insect life."

Mick6161 ends with: "Just use steam, it's obviously far more environmentally friendly."

So are the weeds really the problem, or is it a big issue? Let us know in the comments below or HERE.