Glyphosate and pesticide management
Case reference FOI2026/01294
Received 23 June 2026
Published 1 July 2026
Request
I am writing to make a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000/Environmental Information Regulations about the use of glyphosate for amenity weed killing and any breaches of UK pesticide regulations.
The queries are as follows:
1. Do you or your landscape/ grounds maintenance contractors use glyphosate?
2. Have you or your contractors used any alternative products or methods to glyphosate for weed control? If so what are they?
3. Has your council's policy regarding use of glyphosate to kill weeds changed in the last 5 years? Are there any plans to change in the future?
4. Have your grounds maintenance teams or contractors been found to be in breach of Health & Safety Executive Official Controls (Plant Protection Products) Regulations 2020 or Plant Protection Products (Sustainable Use) Regulations 2012 in the last 12 months?
If so, please outline:
The nature of the infringement of each incident and whether it led to of the following:
Improvement Notice
Fee for Intervention
Prosecution
Response
Thank you for your request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Please find the answers to your queries below:
I am writing to make a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000/Environmental Information Regulations about the use of glyphosate for amenity weed killing and any breaches of UK pesticide regulations.
The queries are as follows:
1. Do you or your landscape/ grounds maintenance contractors use glyphosate?
Yes.
2. Have you or your contractors used any alternative products or methods to glyphosate for weed control? If so what are they?
Yes - Acetic acid, powered wire brush sweeping.
3. Has your council's policy regarding use of glyphosate to kill weeds changed in the last 5 years? Are there any plans to change in the future?
Yes - chemical reduction policy in 2022. No current plans to change in the future.
4. Have your grounds maintenance teams or contractors been found to be in breach of Health & Safety Executive Official Controls (Plant Protection Products) Regulations 2020 or Plant Protection Products (Sustainable Use) Regulations 2012 in the last 12 months?
No.
If so, please outline:
The nature of the infringement of each incident and whether it led to of the following:
Improvement Notice
Fee for Intervention
Prosecution
N/A.
Yours sincerely,
FOI Team
Guildford Borough Council
Documents
This is Guildford Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
You can browse our other responses or make a new FOI request.