The subject of Island Roads using Glyphosate to tackle weeds across the Isle of Wight has been a contentious issue for many years.
In Ventnor, the Highways PFI contractor have agreed to avoid spraying the weed killer in certain roads and areas in order to protect colonies of the Wall Lizard.
Island Roads: We don’t have a list
In April 2022 News OnTheWight asked Island Roads for a list of those areas. They told News OnTheWight,
“We do not have a list of roads in the Ventnor area that we do not spray, instead our delivery approach to weed management applies across the entire Ventnor area due to the potential for wall lizard populations.”
List revealed – but it’s out of date
However, News OnTheWight reader, Helen Jones, has shared a document sent to her by Island Roads which clearly marks out roads that their operatives avoid spraying. Unfortunately however, this document is out of date.
As I was writing this article two quad bikes raced along the road (one on the footway and the other on the road) spraying the footways (right up the walls) and kerbs in an area not marked on Island Roads’ map, but where I have evidence many Wall Lizards are living. Island Roads say you can find out all you need to know about their use of Glyphosate on their Website.
Become a citizen scientist
News OnTheWight is calling on Ventnor residents to take on the role of citizen scientists to help build a more accurate map for Island Roads of where the colonies of Wall Lizards exist.
News OnTheWight has created the Google Map below with the areas already highlighted by Island Roads (based on this IR document).
Some readers have had trouble adding to the map – if you experience the same, please email me ([email protected]) with the details and I will add to the map for you.
(Update: if the map is not embedding properly, look on Google for it here)
Add to the map
If you know of areas in Ventnor that are not marked on the map above in orange (areas already known to Island Roads) or yellow (areas added by citizen scientists) where Wall Lizards exist, please take a moment to add the detail to the map.
Open the map embedded above in a new browser window by clicking on the full screen icon, then select edit to add new areas where Wall Lizards have colonised.
- Uncheck the box on the “Island Roads’ no-go areas” layer
- Make sure “OTW readers” layer is checked
- Select the “draw a line” tool
- Place cursor at the start of the road or path and click along at intervals to create a line
- Click the last marker twice to complete the line
- Add a title – Type in the name of the road, path or area
- Once added, change the colour and size of the line within the layers list by mousing over the title and clicking on the paint bucket icon
Be accurate
It’s very important that the map is accurate.
Ventnor residents concerned about the protection of Wall Lizards need Island Roads to take this piece of citizen science seriously, so please do not add random roads or areas – please only add information you know to be accurate.
Impressed with approach
News OnTheWight reader Helen Jones got in touch because she was impressed to see the Island Roads operatives hand-weeding Esplanade Road steps. Helen explained,
“I remarked it was good to see him clearing weeds, or trying to, by hand rather than glyphosate.
“He told me there was an agreement not to spray walls where lizards are known to be.”
She then got in touch with Island Roads and was supplied with a map of the areas they avoid spraying Glyphosate (embedded below for your convenience).
Background
News OnTheWight first started reporting on the use of Glyphosate in 2016, when the former Green MEP, the late Keith Taylor, highlighted how the European Union had postponed the re-authorisation of the world’s most widely used herbicide.
Two years later and despite a £289 million San Francisco court ruling which claimed the weedkiller Roundup (which contains Glyphosate) ‘substantially’ contributed to a man’s terminal cancer, the Island Roads continued to use the chemical across the Island.
Call for a ban
In 2019 there was a call for the ban of Glyphosate after more dead wall lizards were discovered in areas after the weed killer had been sprayed, but Island Roads and the Isle of Wight council would not budge.
The argument about the use of Glyphosate has continued to remain in the news: with more calls to ban the use of it, confusion over the terms of the PFI contract, the Cabinet member responsible stating that it’s not a binary issue, and Ventnor Town council agreeing to ban the use of it by their contractors, but at a cost.
Below is the document that Island Roads’ operatives work to, showing the roads and areas they avoid spraying.
Article edit
11.15am 27th Jun 2023 – Glyphosate information sheet added
3pm 28th Jun 2023 – Image of newly added locations inserted
Image: © Paul Knights
