Promoting Best Practice
The Amenity Forum is the UK’s industry led voluntary initiative, promoting best practice and the safe and sustainable management of weeds, pests and diseases across this very diverse and important sector.
It is funded by member organisations drawn from all sub sectors of amenity who, through this, demonstrate their commitment to our objectives and ensure the highest professional standards are maintained.
In a changing and rapidly developing world, the importance of amenity spaces and maintaining them correctly has never been greater. The Amenity Forum provides the support, guidance, communication and best practice advice to ensure that those looking after the amenity spaces across the UK are doing so responsibly.
Our latest insights
Integrated Pest Management brought to life at GroundsFest
Amenity Forum brings Integrated Pest Management to life at GroundsFest 2026The Amenity Forum will feature a new Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in Practice Showcase at GroundsFest 2026, bringing together member organisations to demonstrate how different technologies, products and approaches contribute to sustainable amenity management.Rather than focusing on individual products or organisations, the showcase will take visitors on a journey through the key stages of Integrated Pest Management – from prevention and monitoring through to targeted intervention, application and review.The interactive display will demonstrate that effective IPM is not a single solution, but a combination of knowledge, planning, technology, cultural practices and responsible decision-making.The first organisations confirmed to contribute to the showcase include:• Complete Weed Control – demonstrating precision weed detection and targeted herbicide application technology that enables treatments only where weeds are present, helping to reduce pesticide use. • DLF – showcasing sports turf and wildflower solutions that demonstrate how healthy, resilient surfaces and enhanced biodiversity form important components of Integrated Pest Management. • NOMIX – demonstrating the role that residual herbicides can play within a long-term weed management strategy, reducing weed emergence and supporting a reduction in treatment frequency over successive seasons. • National Sprayer Testing Scheme (NSTS) – demonstrating spray application technology and the importance of nozzle selection in achieving accurate and responsible application.Ian Graham, Chair of the Amenity Forum said:“Integrated Pest Management is about making informed decisions, using the right intervention at the right time and considering the full range of tools available. No single product, technology or technique delivers effective IPM on its own.The IPM in Practice Showcase at GroundsFest will bring together examples of how different organisations are helping to deliver more sustainable vegetation management. By demonstrating practical solutions side by side and the journey from manufacture to application of the Plant Protection Products that often form an essential part of integrated techniques, we hope visitors will leave with a better understanding of how prevention, monitoring, biological approaches, targeted application and professional competence all have a role to play.The Amenity Forum is delighted to be working with its members to bring this showcase to GroundsFest and we look forward to welcoming industry professionals to see Integrated Pest Management properly represented.”Additional Amenity Forum members joining the showcase will be announced over the coming weeks, highlighting further innovations in biological control, stewardship, monitoring and non-chemical weed management.Industry professionals will be able to explore how each element contributes to the wider IPM process, reinforcing the message that sustainable vegetation management relies on informed decisions and the integration of multiple approaches rather than any single intervention.Visitors can experience the IPM in Practice Showcase on Stand OSA812 throughout GroundsFest 2026, where the Amenity Forum and participating members will demonstrate how different technologies and approaches work together to deliver effective Integrated Pest Management. They will also be able to collect BASIS Knowledge Trail CPD points.
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Meet Tom Arnold – Director, Amenity Forum
As part of the ongoing Meet the Board series, Tom Arnold, Director of the Amenity Forum, Founder and CEO of TopGrass and Chair of the UK Lawn Care Association, speaks about his passion for the amenity industry and his commitment to helping move it forward.Tom has spent more than 40 years working in the amenity sector and is widely recognised as a strong advocate for professional standards, training and the promotion of best practice. Over the course of his career, he has spent approximately half that time working with manufacturers of amenity fertiliser and plant protection products, and the other half building and leading his own lawn care business. Today, TopGrass is recognised as the largest independent lawn care company in the UK As the industry responds to changing environmental expectations, increasing demand for sustainable landscape management and a growing focus on professional competence, Tom brings valuable practical experience and insight to the Amenity Forum Board.We spoke to Tom about the challenges and opportunities facing the industry, the importance of collaboration and the role of natural turf in creating healthy, sustainable and attractive green spaces.Q&A: Tom ArnoldWhat attracted you to the Amenity Forum and the opportunity to join its Board? I have always believed that the amenity sector is stronger when organisations work together. The Amenity Forum provides a unique platform for bringing together different parts of the industry, including contractors, suppliers, professional bodies, local authorities and regulators.The Forum has an important role in promoting best practice, encouraging professional standards and ensuring the sector has a collective voice on issues that affect us all. Joining the Board provided an opportunity to contribute to that work and help support the future development of the sector.Why is the work of the Amenity Forum important? The amenity sector is incredibly diverse, but many of the challenges we face are shared. Whether you are managing lawns, sports turf, parks, public spaces or wider landscapes, there is a common need for professional competence, responsible management and effective communication.The Forum provides an opportunity to share knowledge and experience across sectors, whilst helping to ensure that decision-makers understand the practical realities of managing amenity spaces.It also plays an important role in promoting Integrated Pest Management (IPM), supporting professional competence and helping organisations adopt practical, sustainable approaches to managing pests, weeds and diseases.What are the biggest challenges facing the lawn care and turf management sector? One of the biggest challenges is balancing increasing expectations with available resources. Customers want high-quality, healthy and attractive green spaces, but organisations are also being asked to deliver environmental benefits, improve biodiversity and reduce inputs. At the same time, the range of management tools available continues to evolve, making professional knowledge and evidence-based decision making more important than ever.How is the sector responding to changing environmental expectations? The sector has made significant progress in recent years. There is growing interest in IPM, improved soil health, sustainable turf management and approaches that reduce environmental impact whilst maintaining high standards. Many organisations are also looking at how they can support biodiversity and make their landscapes more resilient to changing weather patterns and environmental pressures.What role does natural turf play in modern landscapes? Natural turf delivers a wide range of benefits that are often overlooked. It contributes to cooling, carbon capture, water management, biodiversity and wellbeing, whilst providing attractive and functional spaces for communities, sport and recreation. As discussions continue around sustainability and environmental performance, it is important that the benefits of well-managed natural turf are recognised and understood.What do you hope to achieve as a Director of the Amenity Forum? I would like to see the Forum continue to strengthen its role as a trusted and respected voice for the amenity sector. There is a real opportunity to bring people together, encourage collaboration and help ensure that policy, regulation and best practice are informed by practical experience.I am particularly passionate about raising standards across the sector through high-quality training, professional development and the promotion of a common quality standard that gives confidence to customers, practitioners and policymakers alike.I would also like to see greater recognition of the environmental value of natural green spaces. The increasing use of artificial grass in domestic properties is a worrying trend, as it can represent a permanent loss for nature, biodiversity and the many benefits that living landscapes provide.The challenges facing the sector will continue to evolve, but by working together we can help ensure that those responsible for managing amenity spaces have access to the knowledge, support and professional networks they need to succeed.The Board of Directors comprises representatives from a broad range of organisations and disciplines, reflecting the diversity of the amenity sector. Further profiles of Board members will be published over the coming months.
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Glyphosate Use in the UK
With a GB consultation on glyphosate imminent, and growing pressure from a small cohort creating public debate about the future of vegetation management, it is important that discussions remain balanced, evidence-based and focused on practical outcomes. For the Amenity Forum, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) must remain at the heart of future decision-making across the amenity sector.Recent media coverage and ongoing discussions about glyphosate have once again brought vegetation management in amenity settings into the spotlight. Public interest in how we manage our parks, highways, rail corridors, housing estates, sports facilities and public open spaces is both understandable and welcome. These spaces play an important role in our communities and there is growing expectation that they should be managed in ways that protect biodiversity, minimise environmental impact and contribute to wider sustainability goals.However, the debate can sometimes become polarised, framed as a simple choice between chemical and non-chemical approaches. The reality is far more complex. The amenity sector is incredibly diverse. The challenges faced by a local authority managing thousands of miles of pavement are very different from those faced by a golf course, sports club, rail operator, utility company or housing provider. What they have in common is a responsibility to maintain spaces that are safe, accessible, functional and sustainable. This is where Integrated Pest Management plays a vital role.IPM is often misunderstood as simply reducing pesticide use. In practice, it is about making evidence-based, site-specific and proportionate decisions. It encourages managers to consider a range of approaches, including prevention, design, maintenance practices, monitoring, mechanical control and biological solutions, before deciding whether intervention is required and, if so, what form that intervention should take. Importantly, IPM is not about replacing one tool with another. It is about understanding the strengths and limitations of all available options and selecting the most appropriate combination for a particular situation.Across the amenity sector, many organisations are already making significant progress. Herbicide use is being reduced through targeted application, improved mapping technologies, revised maintenance regimes and greater tolerance of low-risk vegetation where appropriate. The sector is increasingly focused on justifying treatment decisions rather than relying on routine applications. Training, operator competence and record keeping are also becoming increasingly important in demonstrating stewardship and maintaining public confidence.Preventative maintenance has an important role to play. Sweeping and brushing programmes can help reduce the build-up of detritus that encourages weed establishment on hard surfaces. Good design, improved drainage and proactive maintenance can all reduce the need for intervention over time.There is also strong interest across the sector in technologies such as hot water, foam, electricity, robotics and other non-chemical approaches. Many of these have an important role to play and continue to evolve. However, their effectiveness can vary depending on timing, weather conditions, surface type, frequency of treatment and available resources. Questions also remain around scalability, consistency, cost and, in many cases, carbon impact. In most situations, particularly where invasive or injurious weeds are involved, practical alternatives remain limited. The question is therefore not whether a solution is chemical or non-chemical, but which combination of tools delivers the safest, most practical and most sustainable outcome.The amenity sector also faces the challenge of balancing environmental ambition with operational and financial realities. Local authorities, contractors and land managers are under increasing pressure to deliver high standards of maintenance while managing constrained budgets and growing public expectations. Experience across the sector has shown that there is no single solution suitable for every location. While some organisations have successfully reduced glyphosate use, others have reported increased costs, greater resource requirements and less effective vegetation control, highlighting the importance of retaining flexibility to use the most appropriate combination of tools for individual sites.It is also worth remembering that glyphosate remains one of the most extensively studied and scrutinised plant protection products in the world. Its approval is subject to rigorous scientific assessment by independent regulatory authorities, which continually review evidence relating to human health and environmental safety. As the industry prepares for the forthcoming GB glyphosate consultation, the Amenity Forum believes future decisions must be informed by robust evidence, practical experience and operational data. Environmental considerations are critically important, but they must be considered alongside public safety, accessibility, affordability and long-term sustainability.These themes will be explored further at the Amenity Forum Annual Conference and Dinner on 7–8 October at Ashorne Hill & British Motor Museum, Warwickshire, where delegates will discuss the future of Integrated Pest Management and consider how the sector can continue to evolve in a responsible and practical way.The Amenity Forum looks forward to engaging constructively with the consultation process and helping to ensure that the sector’s practical experience, commitment to professional standards and adoption of Integrated Pest Management are reflected in future policy discussions.Ian Graham Chairman
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New Director Announcement
The Amenity Forum has appointed Ian Barnett, Regional Technical Manager (South West UK) at DLF Seeds, to its Board of Directors.Ian brings more than 30 years’ experience in the amenity and turf sector, working with local authorities, contractors, sports facilities, turf growers and land managers across the UK. His appointment further strengthens the breadth of expertise represented on the Forum’s Board.Ian Graham, Chair of the Amenity Forum, said: “We are delighted to welcome Ian to the Board. He brings a wealth of technical expertise and practical experience from across the amenity sector, together with a strong understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing those responsible for managing our landscapes, sports facilities and public spaces.As the sector responds to changing environmental expectations, regulatory developments and the need to attract and develop skilled professionals, Ian’s insight and experience will be invaluable. We look forward to working with him as the Forum continues to promote best practice, professional competence and responsible amenity management.”Ian Barnett said: “I am proud to join the Board of the Amenity Forum. The Forum plays an important role in bringing the sector together, promoting best practice and helping to ensure those working in amenity management are informed, connected and supported.I look forward to working with fellow Directors and stakeholders from across the industry to help advance the Forum’s objectives and support the continued development of the sector.”As part of our new ‘Meet the Board’ series, we spoke to Ian Barnett about the opportunities and challenges facing the amenity sector and what he hopes to achieve as a Director.Q&A: Ian Barnett What attracted you to the Amenity Forum and the opportunity to join its Board? I wanted to join the Board because I believe the Amenity Forum provides an important voice for the amenity sector. Bringing together organisations from across the industry to share knowledge, promote best practice and support professional standards has never been more important. The sector faces a range of opportunities and challenges, from environmental change and biodiversity enhancement to skills and regulation, and I am keen to play a part in helping the Forum support its members and the wider industry.Why is the work of the Amenity Forum important? The Amenity Forum provides an important voice for the sector. Education is a huge part of that. Everything we do affects the public, so it is vital that we are both educated and able to educate others. The Forum helps raise awareness of the work being done to create and manage habitats whilst promoting best practice and ensuring we operate legally, responsibly and professionally.What are the biggest trends you are seeing in the amenity sector? One of the biggest growth areas is wildflowers, particularly within the public sector. Wildflower areas can help organisations meet environmental commitments whilst creating attractive habitats that are lower maintenance and more cost effective than traditional intensively managed turf. There is also increasing interest in sustainable planting solutions, including grasses requiring less irrigation and varieties better suited to changing environmental conditions. Alongside this, the reduction in available curative chemistry continues to drive innovation in disease-resistant grass varieties and alternative management approaches.What do you hope to achieve as a Director? I would like to see the Forum continue to strengthen its role as a trusted voice for the amenity sector, supporting professional competence, promoting best practice and helping the industry respond to changing environmental, regulatory and societal expectations. Bringing organisations together and encouraging collaboration will be increasingly important as the sector addresses future challenges.The Board of Directors comprises representatives from a broad range of organisations and disciplines, reflecting the diversity of the amenity sector. Further profiles of Board members will be published over the coming months.
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The Amenity Standard
The Amenity Standard is setting the standard in all aspects of amenity and public space management. These companies have signed up to be part of the standard and are committed to providing best practice across the sector.
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Events
The Amenity Forum provide events throughout the year and also help promote events run by our members.
Membership
We welcome the addition of new members to the Amenity Forum. Visit our Membership page for full details.
