People in Bath are rolling up their sleeves to remove weeds from the city’s Georgian pavements themselves while urging the council to do more to solve the problem.
Janice Legge and Holly Ford tackle weeds on Camden Crescent | Photo © John Wimperis
Janice Legge, who lives on Camden Crescent in Bath, said: “I have been weeding it for at least six years and I always do Camden Row.”
She warned that weeds could “spread like wildfire” if their roots took hold so has decided to take matters into her own hands after struggling to get the council to deal with the issue.
But neighbour Holly Ford said it has become difficult for the burden to fall on residents.
She said: “I am busy raising children. I have two young children. It’s hard to set aside time.”
Ms Legge said that, on occasions, when Bath and North East Somerset Council had come to tackle weeds on the street, they had either used a strimmer which left roots intact or hoed them out in a way which led to the pavements becoming uneven when it rained.
She thinks part of the problem is that the condition of Bath’s Georgian pavements is giving weeds a perfect opportunity to grow.
She said: “It’s never ever ever going to be worth weeding all the weeds out unless they have a schedule to repoint around Bath.”
You can report weeds for removal to the council here.
The council website states: “We prioritise removing weeds where they are causing safety issues, such as obstructing routes for pedestrians and cyclists, blocking drainage channels and increasing flood risk, and damaging pavements or roads.”
John Wimperis, Local Democracy Reporter
