Government Inquiry Report on Japanese Knotweed Published and Critiqued

The Government’s Science and Technology Committee Inquiry on Japanese Knotweed, Report has been published

The Team at PBA watched the Government Science & Technology Inquiry into Japanese knotweed and its effect on the built environment in January with keen interest. Subsequently the evidence given has been analysed by the Government Committee and a report with recommendations issued.

Jon Barton of PBA has put pen to paper to evaluate the Conclusions and Recommendations of this report and gives us his understanding based upon 20 years’ experience of meeting and treating Japanese knotweed in the real world.

Here are a couple of quotes:

“Finally the Government Committee has now agreed with us. “If nothing else, land affected by Japanese knotweed is contaminated with material that has restrictions on disposal methods, makes development (eg. extensions, garages) on the land more challenging, and comes with a risk of liability [risk of litigation if proven] if the plant spreads to neighbouring properties.”

“The stance the Government have taken, that knotweed treatment is expensive, speaks volumes. A typical treatment program costing £2-2.5k represents 1-2% of property value and allows a property to sell, giving the new owners 10-15 years peace of mind over knotweed management. We think this is a pretty good deal!”

To read Jon Barton’s full analysis of the Government’s Science and Technology Committee Inquiry into Japanese Knotweed and the Built Environments Findings read the full document here.