Calls for Mayor of London to ban pesticides

The Mayor of London should ban pesticide use on all City Hall controlled property, according to the Green Party UK.

The devastation wreaked by chemical pesticides can clearly be seen at a London nature reserve, Seething Wells Filter Beds, a protected conservation site.

Formerly lush green ponds have been transformed into muddy pits full of dead fish by the landowners, who had development plans refused in 2014.

Ban

Sian Berry, Green candidate for Mayor of London and party co-leader, said Seething Wells was just one example of why London needs a pesticide ban.

She said: “The trail of destruction here in Kingston makes it easy to see why we must stop using damaging chemical pesticides.

“The wipe-out of bees, dramatic fall in insects and decimation of bird species is harder to spot - but the evidence shows these pesticides are destroying the delicate web of ecosystems we depend on.

“As Green Mayor, I will immediately stop the use of all chemical pesticides on all land controlled by City Hall and Transport for London.”

Ms Berry added she would prioritise the desperate need to protect bee populations by building bee-friendly bus stops across the city.

Action

All chemical pesticide use in London would be phased out within two years on London Assembly and Transport for London property, with zero glyphosate use.

Londoners would be encouraged to move away from using pesticides in their own gardens and allotments and the sale of these products would be strongly discouraged.

Kingston and Surbiton Cllr Sharron Sumner said that although several Boroughs have reduced pesticide use, the Mayor must take decisive action: “The filter beds were a jewel in Surbiton’s crown. But their current owners seem set on wrecking them.

“I have been calling for action from the Lib Dem-controlled council in Siobhan Benita’s backyard, but my pleas have fallen on deaf ears.

“It’s clear we need leadership from a Green Mayor of London to make our capital a beacon for biodiversity across the world.”

This article is based on a press release from the Green Party UK.