MONMOUTH residents expressed concerns about the use of pesticides spotted around the Rockfield Estate area on Friday, May 16.

Users of a Monmouth community group via social media voiced that using poisons such as this can be harmful to natural pollinators such as bees.

In contrast, Monmouth officially became the UK’s first Bee Town in May 2020, a year after the roll out of the Nature isn’t Neat campaign - an initiative which encourages a greener way to manage grassland on verges, open spaces and parks to benefit nature and create wildflower-rich pollinator habitats.

While the area of the estate that some residents raised concerns about belongs to Monmouthshire Housing Association, Monmouthshire County Council were awarded the grounds contract for maintaining it.

A Monmouthshire County Council spokesperson said: "We are committed to fulfilling our contract on behalf of Monmouthshire Housing Association as we collaborate through the ‘Nature isn't Neat’ initiative to minimise herbicide use across their estate. Although managing weeds through alternative methods incurs higher costs, we all acknowledge the significant environmental benefits and are dedicated to promoting a holistic approach to natural environment management.

“Currently, MCC has phased out herbicide usage for weed control in all public spaces. However, our contract with Monmouthshire Housing requires two annual herbicide spraying applications on all MHA-owned sites. We're actively discussing abolishing or reducing this requirement in alignment with MCC policies. It's encouraging that MHA has begun to adopt some practices from ‘Nature Isn't Neat’, marking a positive step forward in our efforts."

Gwent local authority areas including Monmouthshire, Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Newport, and Torfaen subscribe to the ‘Nature Isn’t Neat’ initiative as part of the Gwent Green Grid Partnership.

David Cox, the Contract and Systems Officer of Grounds and Cleansing Neighbourhood Services for Monmouthshire Housing Association said: “At Monmouthshire Housing, we are committed to the protection and enhancement of biodiversity and the wider environment. We have already taken positive steps to limit the use of Glyphosate and ceased its use on our gardens and open spaces back in 2017”.

“MHA supported Monmouthshire County Council’s ‘Nature Isn’t Neat’ campaign again this year; helping preserve wildflower and pollinator conservation across Monmouthshire and have replaced many areas of annual bedding with more sustainable planting.”

“We also fully support the Welsh Government in their delivery of the Government’s ‘UK Pesticides National Action Plan: Working for a more sustainable future’ that sets out the actions to minimise the risks and impacts of pesticides over the next five years.”

The action plan, published Friday, March 21 this year, was agreed between all four UK governments, including the Welsh Government. It sets out actions to minimise risks and impacts of pesticides over the next five years.

It also includes the UK’s first domestic reduction target for pesticides, which is based on reducing potential environmental harm, rather than on volume of pesticide applied, thereby ensuring a balanced and impactful approach.

You can read about the UK Pesticides National Action Plan by visiting either the Welsh Government’s website or UK Government’s website.