Weed-clearing Programme

Hounslow Highways clears weeds on the public highway on behalf of the London Borough of Hounslow.

Until recently, these weeds were cleared with a herbicide called glyphosate. We now clear all weeds manually without the use of chemical treatments – unless they are invasive weeds such as Japanese Knotweed and Mares Tail which are very damaging and still need to be controlled with chemicals.

The new method of treatment has been to reinvest the resources previously spent on Glyphosate into providing more operatives onto the network. This involves significantly increasing the number of operatives dedicated to the fortnightly based cleansing with a clear mandate to remove all litter, detritus, weeds and leaf fall as part of their programmed routes. The schedule of days when the operatives attend can be found here.

Over recent years there has been a focus on glyphosate and although it has not been removed for usage in the UK, Hounslow Highways have recently stopped using the substance as a weed control method for normal highway weeds.

This is to support the Council’s Cleaner, Greener project and promote biodiversity and encourage wildlife.

The weed-clearing programme ensures all footways, footpaths and carriageways (pavements and roads) on the public highways maintained by Hounslow Highways are treated. The weed programme usually runs from spring to autumn, but is dependent on the weather, and corresponds with the cleansing schedule.

• Can we remove all the weeds on the public roads and footpaths?

No, our focus is weed control rather than weed eradication.

• Do you manage weeds on TfL roads?

No. TFL arrange for the spraying and treatment of the weeds on their network. We will clear away the detritus and dead weeds that are left following this treatment.

If you notice weeds in need of attention, please submit an enquiry online via FixMyStreet, and the location will be inspected.