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Town council to tackle street weeds over drain block fears

BBC weeds in a gullyBBC
St Neots resident Stephen McCrystal weed root balls have become very well established in the town's drains

A town council is to carry out its own weed killing after the local authority stopped treating pavements and verges.

St Neots Town Council voted to carry out the one-off spray due to worries about the flood risk of blocked drains.

Cambridgeshire County Council stopped using weed killer in a bid to reduce costs and protect biodiversity.

But Alex Beckett, chair of the highways committee, said weeds that were a "safety hazard will be removed".

"I wouldn't be surprised if we went back to doing a lot more weed killing next year," said Mr Beckett.

"This is one of those cost-savings which we made at the time that didn't cause long-term damage."

Dave Webster/BBC Weedy road, StiltonDave Webster/BBC
Stilton Parish Council has also objected to the policy, after seeing weeds proliferate in the village (above)

St Neots resident Stephen McCrystal, who wrote an open letter to the county council about the situation in his town, said: "Because we're a year past since they stopped the treatment, the root balls are very well established in the storm drains, so they all need clearing and then the council should reinstate a regular, periodical weed treatment programme."

He added a county council-commissioned report had revealed 33% of the town's properties were at high risk of flooding and when it does not "take any action to mitigate that by allowing any of our drains to be blocked it seems absolutely ludicrous".

Stilton Parish Council has also written to the county council objecting to its policy, which was introduced earlier this year.

Dave Webster/BBC Joy WilsonDave Webster/BBC
Joy Wilson said that seeds wash into the drains with soil and without any weed control they grow

Resident Joy Wilson said she had seen an increase in weeds growing in the villages drains.

"They don't have to use chemicals they could be dug out. I am sure there is a means of removing them and keeping the waterways working," she said.

Manea parish councillor Charlie Marks has also previously blamed the policy for persistent flooding in Station Road in his village.

Mr Beckett said: "It is something we need to be looking at so we don't have this long term damage - as obviously that is much worse."

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