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Amenity Users

We issue guidance for Amenity pesticide users on all aspects of the use of pesticides.

The use of amenity pesticides covers a wide range of industrial, public, leisure and recreation areas. For example: sports grounds and pitches, golf courses, cemeteries, car parks, industrial sites, public open spaces, woodland areas, footpaths, transport infrastructure and defence estates.

This page offers advice to all those who use pesticides in these situations, including local authorities, landscapers and groundsmen. The advice is intended to help minimise the risk which can be associated with the use of pesticides in what are mainly very public areas and derive the maximum benefits when managing vegetation [See the CRD crop hierarchy for definitions of amenity situations].

Those who employ contractors to use pesticides will also find this page useful to understand their obligations and manage contracts responsibly.

Advice on Using and Storing Pesticides

The first question you should ask is whether it is necessary to use a pesticide. Guidance on the factors you should take into account can be found at section 1.1 of the Code of Practice for Using Plant Protection Products.

If you have decided it is necessary to use pesticides, you must ensure the way they are used does not pose an unacceptable risk to human health and the environment. Following the guidance laid down in the Code of Practice for Using Plant Protection Products will help you meet your legal obligations in this regard (these are the requirements relating to pesticides within Part III of the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985).

Those who sell, supply or store for sale pesticides should follow the guidance detailed in the Code of Practice for Suppliers of Pesticides to Agriculture, Horticulture and Forestry ('Yellow Code').

The Code of Practice for Using Plant Protection Products also contains specific advice for those who prepare and manage contracts for the application of pesticides in amenity areas. This will help ensure that all work is carried out in accordance with the relevant law and that risks to those applying the pesticide, the public and the environment are properly assessed and adequately controlled.

Training is key to ensure that employers and staff understand the law and ensure that those who use or store pesticides have the right skills to do the job safely. It will also help those who manage contractors to understand their obligations and manage contracts responsibly. The NPTC [external website] or BASIS (Registration) Limited [external website] can provide more information.

Further advice to help you is also available from the Amenity Forum (external link). This is an independent body which brings together professional organisations with an involvement in the amenity horticulture sector. The Government encourages those involved in supply, storage or use of pesticides to follow the advice and adopt the practices developed by the Forum.

Monitoring and Enforcement

We have a rigorous programme of monitoring in place to ensure adherence to strict controls over pesticides. This includes the Pesticides Usage Survey, Human Health Survey, Pesticide Incident Appraisal Panel, Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme and Residues monitoring programme.

Responsibility for enforcement is shared between the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), local authorities and the Agriculture Departments.
If you believe that pesticides are being used incorrectly then you can report it.

Information on Pest, Disease and Weed Incidence and Resistance

If you encounter examples of pests, weeds or diseases developing resistance to pesticides, please report this to the approval holder of the particular product so they can verify whether it is a real case before notifying us.

Information on Pesticide Products

The law is changing- keep yourself up to date.
The pesticide products which can be used in amenity situations are constantly changing. This is as a result of the pesticide review programme and commercial decisions by those who manufacture these products.
You can find out whether particular products are approved for use in amenity situations by checking CRDs online databases:

Controls on the supply, storage and use of pesticides are likely to change substantially in the medium term as a result of a proposed EU directive on the sustainable use of pesticides. You can find out how this may impact on the amenity sector by referring to CRD news on the EU Thematic Strategy for Pesticides.

CRD also issues Regulatory Updates, which provide information on changes to legal requirements. We issue Information Updates for items which may be of interest such as training courses, workshops or seminars.

Research

Recent research into amenity sector related pesticides use includes:

CRD survey of amenity use of pesticides: 'Determining the Usage and Usage Patterns of Amenity Pesticides across the UK' (pdf, 144 pages).
InterReg III Clean Region project.
Herbicide Resistance in Amenity Weed Control Situations (pdf, 2 pages).

Development of Pesticide Controls

Reducing Environmental Impact.
The Government believes that we can best minimise the risk of adverse impacts through a range of statutory and voluntary controls. It is important, however, that the range of controls complements each other and has clearly defined outcomes. The Government has therefore published the UK Pesticides Strategy which includes a strategic outcome to seek to "Establish 'best practice' in the use of pesticides in the amenity sector. The Strategy foreshadows the requirements of the EU Thematic Strategy for Pesticides. (Further information about Strategies is given below under "Strategies for Pesticide Use".)

More Information on Minimising Impacts of pesticides.

The European Community Review Process

The European Community (EC) is reviewing existing pesticides. We provide up to date information on the EC process and its implications for Farmers and Growers.

• EC Review Programme.
• Withdrawal of pesticide products as a result of the EC review programme 2003.
• Essential Uses.

Strategies for Pesticide Use

• Work to develop the EU Thematic Strategy for Pesticides is now underway.
• The UK strategy is well developed. In March 2006, following consultation with our stakeholders we published 'Pesticides and the Environment: A Strategy for the Sustainable Use of Plant Protection Products'.
• The Amenity Action Plan Implementation Group was formed to deliver these strategies to the amenity sector. It commissioned the report: Determining the Usage and Usage Patterns of Amenity Pesticides across the UK (pdf, 144 pages).