Member Article

Landlords warned to keep watch on dreaded knotweed

News that a homeowner in the Midlands can’t sell her property because the neighbouring garden has been overrun by Japanese Knotweed is a stark reminder for all land and property owners on the problems the highly invasive plant can pose.

With parts of South Wales renowned for knotweed outbreaks, commercial and residential property owners are being warned to be extra vigilant and act immediately if they think the plant could be present.

The warning comes from Nick Worman at Bruton Knowles who said regular inspections of properties are essential as the highly invasive weed could appear in a fairly short period of time.

Nick said: “The case in the Midlands is a timely reminder on the issue of Japanese Knotweed. Unfortunately, through no fault of their own, these home owners are trapped because the owners of the property next door didn’t deal with the situation.

“The problem is particularly prevalent in South Wales as we have plenty of potential transmission routes, particularly rivers and roads. Regeneration and other development including road building involves lots of earth moving and that is where the plant can spread and flourish.

“We have recent experience of Japanese Knotweed issue in South Wales, where the loan on a property that we valued was rejected by several banks even though the plant was outside the property boundary and some distance from the property itself.

“This case was probably the result of construction works related to the dual carriageway that runs immediately to the rear of the property concerned.

“South Wales also has lots of brownfield land which is more at risk than greenfield sites.

“We’ve seen development sites adjoining rivers where the first thing the developer does is remove all the top soil, including the Japanese Knotweed that runs along the adjacent river bank, and dumps it in a heap ready for re-use across the development as the houses are built.”

With the issue affecting properties close to infestations Nick said banks and lenders were becoming increasingly wary of lending on properties where the plant was present due to the potential disruption it could cause - unless there was a commitment from the owner to treat and remove the plant.

Nick added: “Many mortgage lenders seem prepared to take a pragmatic view where infestations occur - but there is no guarantee this will be the case. We are aware of a number of lenders who will reject mortgage applications in such circumstances.

“A common ignorance of how the weed is spread means that many property owners, local authorities, developers and contractors frequently spread it through inappropriate landscaping, earthmoving and treatment strategies.

“The worst thing you can do is to ignore the problem. This makes no sense as even a small infestation can take thousands of pounds to eradicate successfully and/or an extended.

“Leaving an infestation untreated will allow increasing spread and potentially an exponential increase in cost of remediation.”

For further information contact Nick Worman at nick.worman@brutonknowles.co.k

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Laurence Phillips .