Streetlife

Wow, I've never even heard of this. As a possible house buyer sometime in the next year or so, is this something that insurance would cover if it wasn't detected when you bought your house?

Hi James - unlikely.  The clue is in the title I think - weed - but it is a question that you should ask you solicitor to include in the list of preliminary enquires sent to the vendor's solicitor.

Today I pointed out to our dustmen  that they hadn't taken my neighbours rubbish, they told me they were not allowed in their garden on orders of the police because of Japanese Knotweed

What is the law on this? Is it a criminal offence to allow the stuff to grow? And is it a criminal offence to stuff the fronds and leaves in with garden rubbish.?

Here is an extract from the DEFRA site

"The Government is aware of the problems of invasive non-native plants such as Japanese knotweed. While there is no statutory requirement for landowners to remove the plant from their property, because of its potential harm to native species, it is listed on Schedule 9 and subject to section 14 of the Act 1981, which makes it an offence to plant, or cause this species to grow, in the wild. Both the Police and local authorities have enforcement functions for the 1981 Act. In addition, Japanese knotweed is regarded as controlled waste and has to be disposed of at licensed sites or by burning on site".

I'm not entirely clear what that means    .......an offence to plant, or cause this species to grow, in the wild......        who on earth would cause it to grow or plant it in the wild? And what about causing it to grow in your garden ( as I find in a garden butting onto an alleyway running beside my property). I have noticed that last week it was cut down and in a pile with other garden rubbish, presumably to be bagged up and left for the dustmen. I have never met the people living at this house - it's let by an agent - and I am dragging my feet about approaching them with such a negative request, specially as they've probably never heard of Japanese Knotweed.                           in

I had never thought about this until another neighbour pointed out it was growing in my next door neighbours garden. She has been in contact with various agencies with this result. I must admit I was gobsmacked by the dustmans answer

@ Gwen.  Its against the law to move it except to an authorised disposal site.  I think the fine is about a grand.