Climate change City plan to tackle global warming threat

A NEW strategy to increase the amount of greenery in Gloucester to tackle climate change is set to get the go-ahead by city councillors amid plans to phase out a controversial weedkiller.

- Carmelo GARCIA Local Democracy Reporter

The Gloucester Urban Greening Strategy will see the council explore ways of boosting the amount of greenery in the city to address the threat of global warming and extreme weather including flooding and dangerous heatwaves.

The strategy considered at next week's cabinet meeting, will support efforts to harness the natural benefits of trees, green roofs, hedgerows, and green screens to help tackle climate change. And city council chiefs are also looking to phase out weedkiller glyphosate which is used in very small quantities across Gloucester.

Its use can still harm insect populations and biodiversity by removing plants essential for their survival. Also, if eaten in large quantities, glyphosate may also have health impacts on small mammals and household pets.

The move will be kept under review and take feedback from residents into consideration. Councillors could also agree to stop spraying busy areas such as the city centre where weeds are usually kept to a minimum due to high footfall.

However, the weedkiller will still be used to manage obstructive growth or treat invasive and dangerous species such as Japanese knotweed and giant hogweed. The urban greening plan includes identification of sites appropriate for new planting and finding new and innovative ways of increasing street tree canopy cover to reduce the local intensity and duration of heatwaves, and filter harmful emissions from vehicles.

It also includes proposals to explore the use of rainwater gardens in Gloucester to collect excess surface water and reduce pressure on sewers during periods of high rainfall. The plan builds on the council's Climate Change Strategy, which supports the council's efforts to reach net zero emissions across its own functions by 2030 and to achieve carbon neutrality throughout the district by 2045.