After 18 years of outsourcing the highway weed spraying, Manchester City Council last year decidedto bring the weed spraying programme in house along with seven other local authorities.Spraying in-house allows councils to respond quickly to their residents, they can pick the bestweather conditions to spray in and target specific areas when required. In addition to this they canmake substantial savings.
James Wilson of Vale Engineering (York) Limited who supplied the Vale PKL Spraying Systems toManchester City Council said: “We have begun to see a significant number of authorities starting toin-house weed spray, the lack of a conventional residual pesticide for hard surface has led to arethink on the best way of tackling weed growth. Many councils who have brought the service in-househave seen savings in budget, and with the correct training the operation can run smoothlywith employees enjoying the work and taking ownership of the task in-hand.”
Vale Engineering (York) Ltd supply ATVs/Tractors into the Local Authority sector. Machines caneither be purchased or hired. James Wilson of Vale says: “All our machines are CE marked and havelow drift nozzle technology allowing them to spray sectionally and spot spray with both hands onthe handlebars.
“Our PKL Spraying System is specifically designed for amenity/local authority spraying.It takes into account machine capabilities and up to date technology. It is not just an oversized tankwith a hand lance which can sometimes be supplied by non specialised manufacturers.”
Interest has been increased by the clarification from the Health and Safety Executive and ChemicalRegulation Directorate with the release of the best practice guide and addendum which confirmsvehicles can be used on the footpath for footpath spraying. The Vale PKL Spraying System meetsthe best practice guide.
