Nailsea Town Council take decisive action on tackling the weed problems around the town.

Following complaints raised about the number of weeds in the town centre and other locations across the town, Nailsea Town Council has acted decisively.

Firstly, a team of council and other volunteers undertook a weed-picking session in the town centre, to widespread acclaim. At the same time, the Council learned that North Somerset Council (NSC) had not at that time done its annual weed-spraying across the entire town. So, the council asked NSC to bring the date forward in future years, and this timelier treatment should help keep many weeds from seeding. However, neither the one-off volunteer session nor the change in time for annual spraying will have a significant effect or provide a long-term solution. So at Town Council meeting in October it was agreed that the council invest in a contract with Glendale Countryside Ltd. This contract will provide Nailsea Town Council with an operative for one day a week with scheduled visits every Tuesday.

The contract includes the operative, vehicle, hand tools and small powered machinery to include blower, strimmer, hedge cutter and pedestrian mower.

The operative duties will include the following:

• weed removal
• shrub pruning
• litter picking
• leaf clearance
• cutting back overhanging vegetation
• grass cutting (with pedestrian mower)
• general sweeping and tidying of areas
• removal of small amounts of green waste as generated by the operative carrying out their duties.

This work will supplement the work of the existing Town Orderly, it is not proposed as a replacement. In addition, the Glendale operative has use of a vehicle and other equipment not currently held by the Town Council. The results obtained will therefore be at considerably less cost than the Council obtaining a vehicle and equipment itself.

The first work took place the week beginning 11 November along The Haslands Footpath and already great results have been seen. The focus will be on clearing overgrown footpaths around the town of weeds and leaves such as around Millennium Park. This will help those with mobility issues, families with pushchairs and the many other users to travel more easily on foot or cycle around the town.

Stephen Holley, Assistant Town Clerk at Nailsea Town Council says “Nailsea Town Council is a listening council and following the concerns raised about the number of weeds in the town centre and other locations across the town at the Residents meeting in May we have worked hard to come up with a range of solutions to the problem. This included taking on a contact with Glendale, who so far have done a great job in removing weeds and helping to make our footpaths around the town safer for all users. Please let us know of any areas you feel need work by contacting the council on email admin@nailseatowncouncil.gov.uk , call us on 01275 855277 or contact us via our website contact form on www.nailseatowncouncil.gov.uk”