Weeds - an update

6th June 2011 - my email to the Area Steward for Biggleswade

This is about the weeds that are beginning to take over parts of Biggleswade and blocking up the gutters. Although I notice that along the London Road the pavements and gutters appear to be clear of weeds.

I have attached some photgraphs of typical problems, these being outside Mead End shops. Can you advise what program there is for clearing gutters and spraying weeds.

6th June 2011 - response

We carry out a number of weed spraying operations throughout the season in Central Bedfordshire on a cyclic basis, I will check when this area was last sprayed, when it is due to be sprayed next and will reply to you by email.

Please bear in mind that the chemicals we are allowed to use for weed spraying only kill existing weeds that have leaves etc, and have no residual effect on the soil.

9th June 2011 - my email back to Area Steward.

Spraying of weeds does not address the other problem I brought to your attention. The blocking of gutters by debris.

This debris does not accumulate in days, it must take a period of many months. This then provides the medium for weeds to grow in. Killing the weeds in the gutter is not the complete answer, it just provides more debris. The mechanical sweeper, which I have not seen for some time, does not clear the gutters effectively and cannot do so where care are regularly parking, albeit for short periods like at Mead End shops.

Can you tell me how you are going to address this problem?

18th June 2011 - my follow up email

By the time you read this email it will be two weeks from the time I sent you my original email. I would have thought that would have been ample time to provide the information on the spraying of weeds.

I would also like a resonse to my email of the 9th June 2011.

20th June 2011 - response from Area Steward

The latest weed spraying in Biggleswade was carried out Thursday 16th June 2011, this is likely to take a week or so for the results to become noticeable.

Gullies are cleaned on a three year cycle as they generally do not become full of silt in this amount of time, some however, do fill more quickly and we will clear these as necessary.

Could you provide specific locations of those affected gullies so we can arrange for them to be cleared?

21st June 2011 - my response to Area Steward

Was that all of Biggleswade on Thursday 16th June, I suspect not. Can you tell me where the spraying took place?

You were going to tell me when the spraying was last carried out. Can you do that please?

21st June 2011 - response from Area Steward.

Around 80% of Biggleswade was weed sprayed last Thursday, the landscape team are hoping to complete the remaining 20% today and they will continue if they do not finish the spraying today.

As for the gutters as opposed to gullies this sweeping is carried out by Central Bedfordshire council and I have been in contact with their service manager to request sweeping is commenced in a couple of weeks when the weed killer has taken affect. If you have any information regarding the worst areas this would be useful so we can target them first.

The spraying on the 16^th June was the first spraying of this financial year.

22nd June 2011 - my email

For some reason you seem to be reluctant to tell me when weed spraying was last carried out in Biggleswade. I would like to know please?

I do not believe in coincidences and that weed spraying was planned for the 16th June prior to my email of 6th June. I did see two small vehicles carrying out weed spraying on the path and in the gutter yesterday morning along Holme Court Avenue.

You have now started talking about gutters and gullies and a split in responsibilities.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary:

Gutter – a channel at the side of the street for carrying off rainwater.

Gully – a narrow channel formed by the action of rainwater, a gutter or drain.

Can you tell me what your definition of gutters and gullies is?