In February 2026, Support Staffordshire organised and ran a Citizen Jury on behalf of East Staffordshire Borough Council. The aim of this Citizen Jury was to discuss how East Staffordshire Borough Council should use glyphosate (a chemical weedkiller) on the land that it owns and manages.
The Jury was made up of 26 people who live, work, study or volunteer in East Staffordshire, from a range of backgrounds, ages and ethnicities. Over two days, they listened to four different expert witnesses, who presented the evidence of how glyphosate affects our environment and our health, why it is so commonly used, and what the alternatives to glyphosate are.
At the end of the two days, the Jurors agreed on 5 recommendations for the future use of glyphosate in East Staffordshire, to be presented to East Staffordshire Borough Council Cabinet members. The Cabinet are not obliged to implement these recommendations, but will consider the recommendations carefully as they decide how to proceed with management of weeds in open spaces and on road surfaces in the Borough.
The full public Cabinet meeting was held on Monday 15th June to finalise the Cabinet’s decisions. This can be viewed here: https://www.eaststaffsbc.gov.uk/council-democracy/committees/cabinet/2026-06-15