hazchem wrote:
Yesterday Croydon Council sub-contractors came and sprayed weedkiller
outside my front door, on the paving slabs. This is despite my asking
them not to and having a notice on the outside of my front door DO NOT
SPRAY WEEDKILLER ANYWHERE NEAR THIS GARDEN. I am concerned about run-
off when rain comes. I don't want weedkiller washing into my garden.
There is a visible white residue where they sprayed. I don't want to
put my pots on top of it.

Today I got a reply via email, but I don't know if I should believe
them or not.This is what they said:-
"Sorry about the confusion regarding the spraying of the communal area
with weedkiller.
Please be assured that the chemical used becomes inert if it touches
hard services or soil, it only has an effect on green tissue.
Therefore it will be safe to place your pots back out, and it if rains
or you wash off the chemical it will not damage your soil. Also it
will have no adverse affect of the cat or anything the cat steps on or
walks through."

Does this make any sense at all? Which weedkiller could it be? There
are no weeds on the paving slabs so it doesn't make any sense. It is
too early in the year to be using glyphosate, I would think, and
sodium chlorate would not become inert. I did ask them a year ago what
the weedkiller was, but they never told me. I intend to ask them
again, but first I wanted to hear what gardeners with experience of
weedkillers think of what they have told me.

Hazchem

If they are anything like my local council they will be well aware of
the dangers of residual weedkiller and will not use it.
To get some satisfaction from the council, find out who is your parish
or district councilor and have a word in their ear. There's nothing like
a phone call starting "This is Councilor Smith, I've had a complaint
from a resident" to get things moving.