In line with its climate emergency commitments, Chipping Norton Town Council’s Community Committee recently approved a new Three- Year Pesticide Phase-out strategy. The Committee have worked with Pesticide Action Network to put together a meaningful plan that can be put into action strategically over three years. This includes reducing and ultimately ending the use of all pesticides on Council-managed land; bringing in other local stakeholders to follow suit, and finding ways to help and encourage residents to adopt a pesticide-free approach at home.
Mayor and Chair of Community Committee, Cllr Sandra Coleman says “I am very pleased that following our Declaration of Climate Emergency back in 2020 we are now in a position to phase out the use of these damaging chemicals. This will be good for the health of our children and improve biodiversity and soil quality. I look forward to seeing a greater variety of wild flowers in our open spaces, and to learning to identify them!”
Deputy Mayor Cllr Rachel Foakes adds that “starting to phase out pesticides in Chippy feels very important. It’s our responsibility as a town to do what we can to promote biodiversity and a healthier more sustainable future, especially as we live in such a beautiful and wildlife-rich part of the country. We hope to lead the way in demonstrating that using less chemicals and adopting a more natural approach to maintenance and gardening is possible, and we hope people will feel inspired to give it a go in their own gardens.”
We are very grateful to Pan-UK for the support and guidance. You can read more about the work they do here:
You can view the Council’s Three-Year Phase-out Plan here:
