There is much to be proud of in Gloucester’s communities and open spaces, especially in our city parks, one of which, Gloucester Park, was recently awarded a coveted Green Flag award for safety and cleanliness.

It joins the other three Green Flag parks in Gloucester: Barnwood Arboretum, Saintbridge Balancing Pond and Robinswood Hill Country Park. Well done to all involved for this achievement.

At a streetcare level though, the possible effects of climate change have meant challenges for local councils, including Gloucester. Due to the warm weather and heavy rain, especially in April and May, the weeds grew at a faster rate than we are used to. Weed-spraying had to be cancelled, leading to a backlog of weeds in the streets.

Helping to get a grip on weeds

Thankfully, a new machine that the city council has purchased, the Hako, is helping to get a grip on the weeds and is gradually getting around the city. It was bought at a cost of approximately £75,000 and was budget neutral to the city council’s streetcare contract.

Hako can help remove weeds more quickly through a mechanical ripping method. Taking them up by the root helps prevent them growing back the following year. It is part of the changes that new Environment & Climate Change cabinet member Sebastian Field is bringing to our streetcare service.

In time, Hako will mean that the whole city takes less and less time to clear of weeds. However, its small capacity means it has to return fairly frequently to the depot for emptying. A second Hako would double the capacity to rip weeds, and would also reduce our reliance on spraying, saving us money and helping us meet our biodiversity targets.

I hope you had a great summer in Gloucester.