Edinburgh City Council must tackle city’s weed problem, says Lothian politician

Edinburgh has spent £21,800 on weed killer to date, with costs being four times more than the entirety of 2020.

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The amount spent on weed killer by Edinburgh Council dropped in 2020 to £5,888 from £24,326 in 2019, with less weed spraying happening during the pandemic.

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, has said that Edinburgh Council needs to make an extra effort to deal with the number of weeds which have grown unchecked across the capital.

Capital has weed problem that needs fixed, says Lothian MSP.

According to a Freedom of Information request by the Scottish Conservatives, there have been no weed complaints made to the council since 2019.

The total number of weed service requests dropped to 85 in 2020, compared to 371, 289 and 327 in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Since 2017 there have been 1,214 weed service requests to the Council, with 142 requests made so far this year.

Earlier this summer Mr Briggs criticised Edinburgh Council for the out of control weeds across the Capital, comparing the city to the film The Day of the Triffids.

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “Over the last year and a half Edinburgh City Council have been too preoccupied by issues such as Spaces for People and forgotten about the basics.

Lothian MSP Miles Briggs,.

“We are lucky to live in such a beautiful city, however the SNP and Labour Council have been neglecting their duty to preserve the city.

“It is important that services return to normal and an extra effort is made to deal with the number of weeds that have sprouted up over Edinburgh.”

Weeds have become increasingly problematic across parts of Edinburgh in recent weeks/months following spells of hot and then wet weather, as well as reduced staffing capacity due to the pandemic.

Councillor Lesley Macinnes, Transport and Environment Convener said: “Our grounds maintenance and street cleansing teams work extremely hard to tend to the city’s parks and keep our streets clear of weeds. However, like towns and cities across the country, the last 18 months have been extremely challenging. Throughout lockdowns we prioritised essential services for our citizens and the safety of our staff. Whilst this meant a reduced spend on tackling weeds in 2020, we have now resumed the service to be similar to before the pandemic.

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