CALNE News has been contacted recently by some residents who have noticed our pavements, walls and streets have become overgrown with weeds this year - so we decided to find out why nothing seems to have been done about it.
The problem isn't confined to Calne, weed growth is worse this year in most counties - a summer of warm and wet weather has provided the perfect conditions for the weeds to thrive.
Although the weed problem is perhaps less surprising in cities such as Bath, where the council has banned glyphosate weedkiller, the continued use of the herbicide by Wiltshire Council doesn't explain why we seem to be ankle deep in unwanted greenery on our streets and pavements.
Wiltshire Council was petitioned in 2020 to cease using glyphosate-based herbicides. Although they continued to use the weedkiller, the council bought two new weed rippers to deal with the issue in a more 'environmentally friendly manner' - yet no weed control seems to have been utilised in any way in Calne.
Cllr Caroline Thomas, Cabinet Member for Transport, told us: “We use glyphosate-based herbicides to control weeds in some places in addition to mechanical devices to remove weed growth. We seek to balance the environmental concerns of using herbicides against operational requirements to adequately control weeds.”
This failed to explain why nothing seemed to be being done to deal with the weeds this year, so, we went back to Wiltshire Council to ask again what will be done to address the town's 'growing problem'.
Cllr Caroline Thomas told us: “The weather throughout July has provided ideal conditions for the growth of weeds in kerb and channel lines, these problems are county wide and not just confined to Calne.
“We are addressing this by utilising the Parish Steward Scheme, whereby Parish and Town Councils are able to prioritise works, such as weed treatments as part of a scheduled parish steward visit”
With this in mind we took a look at the diary of the Parish Steward for Calne who also covers Bremhill, Hilmarton, Compton Bassett, Cherhill, Heddington, Calne Without, Lyneham & Bradenstoke, Tockenham and Clyffe Pypard. Calne is in the diary for visits on three days per month.
Mark Edwards, Head of Business at Calne Town Council told us: "If residents are aware of an area of weeds which need clearing they can report it using the MyWilts app or webpage and this will get the job added to the Parish Steward's list of jobs to complete."
But with such a vast area to cover in just three days a month, a speedy resolution to the weeds seems unlikely.
Calne Town Mayor, Robert MacNaughton, commented: "Unfortunately, the problem outweighs any provision put in place by Wiltshire Council to deal with it. Sadly, that isn't going to change. Yes, we all pay our council tax, but that doesn't change the situation we are facing, which is clearly a long wait for the Parish Steward to get to it or intervene - if we are bothered by a patch of weeds, maybe we should begin to think about dealing with it ourselves.
"There are many local community groups in Calne who I am sure would be happy to help organise something with residents who are happy to help make a start on clearing the problem ."
The continued use of the controversial glyphosate weedkiller by Wiltshire Council is also something that troubles our mayor. Glyphosate-based herbicides can be legally used on hard surfaces until at least 15th December 2025, as the active substance approval for glyphosate, which was set to expire under EU legislation, has been granted a three-year extension as part of the UK’s European Union exit strategy.
Robert has a passion for the Marden Valley and works actively to tackle the pollution problem in the river and protect it from unnecessary pollutants and poisons. Robert told us: "Glyphosate weedkiller not only poses a risk to human health, it kills wildlife and threatens biodiversity, it should be banned instantly not used for a further three year extension."
Local environmentalist, Jeremy Percy told us: "The most damning thing anyone needs to know about glyphosate is that the World Health Organisation has classified it as 'a probable human carcinogen'.
"Sold in shops under the name 'Round Up' the weedkiller contains a surfactant in order to make it stick to leaves, if it sticks to leaves it will stick to skin and animals. It is endemic, it has been found in urine samples, breast milk, it is everywhere. It would be naive to believe that it wouldn't have an effect on aquatic environments."
If tackling the weed problem in Calne is something you feel you'd like to be involved with, you could start by contacting your local community groups for help.
Calne Clean Up Crew said: "There have been comments made and posts on social media about weeds along pavements and kerbs. Having checked, Wiltshire Council aren’t using weedkiller to kill them, which is great for the environment. However, if you think they are unsightly, there is no problem with you removing them - think of it as community action. In fact that’s how the group originated - Cath hated seeing litter so decided to pick it up. If you want to ask our opinion before you take action, please send us a message via our Facebook Page or email
Alternatively you can report your weed concerns here: https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/mywilts-online-reporting
Want to know what’s on in Calne? Visit our local events page for listings and to find out how to add your own events for free.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep up with all the latest news.
Have you got a story for us? Email editor@calnenews.com or contact us here.
