Letter to the Editor: Spraying of weeds on roadside verges

(EDITOR, MEATH CHRONICLE)

Dear sir - It is a real pleasure to drive along the green and leafy roads and lanes of County Meath.

So why do some property owners insist on spraying their verges, thereby killing all visible growth and resulting in a depressing, bare, dead wasteland?

I’m not talking about a little spraying around entrances (although that’s bad enough) but hundreds of metres along the front curtilage of their property.

I contacted the environmental section of the Meath County Council to ask if they could intervene in one particularly bad case. They referred it to their 'Climate Action team' and came back with the answer “they have advised that there isn’t anything we can do about it”!

Although I originally thought these road verges belonged to the council, my understanding now is that these verges do indeed form part of the property (although there are grey areas of ownership here).

However, in these enlightened times regarding the environmental impacts of these “kill all” sprays, we know all life forms (plants, insects, bees, birds etc) are adversely affected by these toxic sprays.

These verges do not have to be manicured but simply left to nature, to the benefit of all.

If it enhanced the frontage of a property or reduced the amount of maintenance required, I could partially see some kind of logic to it but all it does is kill everything natural there, leaving a dreary, ugly landscape.

I ask all owners who carry out such spraying, please think again and let us all enjoy the green and pleasant road ways on our travels.

Yours,

Gez Bettney,

Meadowlands,

Athboy.