FOI Request - Flower Bed Expenditure

Request 101003958917

1. How much do you spend annually on annual border plants and how much do you spend on perennials? Can you break it down for the last three years please?

2. How many tonnes of flowers are discarded each year? Can you break it down for the last three years please?

3. What happens to them?

4. Do you use weedkiller? Or an organic alternative?

5. If so, how much do you spend on weedkiller each year? Can you break it down annually please?

Response 06-04-2026

1.

2026 – annual border plants - £4383.80 and £57.60 on perennials.

2025 - annual border plants - £6821.85 and £0 on perennials.

2024 – annual border plants - £7926.04 and £0 on perennials.

2. Tonnage date is not held but this would apply to all the summer annuals and circa 50% of the autumn annuals.

3. Summer bedding is recycled for compost/green waste. Circa 50% autumn /spring bedding is donated to community groups who can re-use them with the remained recycled to compost/green waste.

4. Yes, glyphosate-based weedkillers are used to control weeds. On 7 February 2023, the Council’s Economic Development and Infrastructure Services Committee agreed to reduce the use of glyphosate based weedkillers used in open spaces and to accept and tolerate a greater presence of weeds and longer vegetation in the environment. This means we have reduced our use of glyphosate-based herbicides by 51% since 2022.

5.

2026 – £9514.80

2025 - £10,850.00

2024 - £11,001.60