Green Streets

Following on from our Pesticides campaign we have been campaigning for and introducing Green Streets.

Green Streets is a programme that takes residents' streets out of the pesticide treatment schedule allowing them to plant flowers in tree pits and where possible in verges.

It allows wild flowers to thrive in areas where they don’t cause a problem. Not only do Green Streets remove pesticides it protects and enhances biodiversity and pollinators and the streets look great.

It’s also a great way to get to know people and build communities.

In 2025 a brilliant pilot took place in Laurier Road, Addiscombe.

Here’s a suggested process for setting up a Green Street and agreeing removal from the treatment schedule.

Join the Green Streets campaign, get support and let us know how you are getting on at croydonclimateaction@gmail.com .

Andrea, who led the Laurier Road project says: “It’s important to remember that everyone is a potential ally” and “It only takes a few committed people to make a huge difference. Our Green Street this year has been literally humming with insect life”

You can listen to Andrea talk about turning Laurier Road into a Green Street on this Do London Differently* podcast by London National Park City*

In 2019 Croydon Friends of the Earth and Pesticide Action Network successfully campaigned for Croydon Council to end the use of pesticides in council managed parks and green spaces. This was a great step forward helping to protect plants, insects, wild and domestic animals and humans.

Sadly however the council through its contractor Veolia continued to randomly apply pesticide on streets and pavements using operators spraying indiscriminately from buggies. Croydon Climate Action members started a campaign for a Pesticide Free Croydon in early 2023 with the aim of taking pesticides off our streets.

Pesticide Free Croydon

In 2023 Croydon Climate Action resumed the Pesticide Free Croydon campaign working for the elimination of pesticide use on our streets and successfully achieved a significant reduction in pesticide use.

There was an opportunity to change policy as the street maintenance contract was being renegotiated. We met a number of times with Cllr Roche, Cabinet Member for Streets and Environment and Charlie Baker, Head of Environmental Services and Sustainable Neighbourhoods. Alternative, environmentally kinder options to using pesticides were proposed but were rejected by the council on financial grounds. However, progress was made as they did agree to cut the number of street pesticide applications from four each year to two and also to move away from indiscriminate spraying from buggies. The new spraying regime has been in place since the new Veolia contract came into force in April 2025 and operators use backpacks and manually target unwanted plants. It is hoped that this will have reduced pesticide use by up to 60%. Promises have been made to monitor the reduction.

Nevertheless, poisonous Glyphosate is still being sprayed on our streets not only killing “weeds” but destroying the vegetation it touches, harming insects including pollinators and endangering wildlife, pets and humans.

We will continue to campaign with Pesticide Action Network to end pesticide use in our urban environment.

While Croydon Council, through Veolia, continues to use pesticides we will work to take streets out of the spray schedule through the Green Street campaign.

Trees4Croydon

Following out Trees 4 Croydon campaign in 2023 trees were planted in Canterbury Road Recreation Ground and at Croydon University Hospital in North Croydon.

Remaining funds will be spent on planting trees through a partner who will ensure they are cared for while they become established.