A DANGEROUS killer is lurking in the undergrowth of Coventry gardens – and residents have been threatened with an ASBO if they don’t control it.
There have been reports of the dreaded Japanese Knotweed in the Canley area – and Coventry City Council is warning of anti-social bahviour orders to prevent its spread.
The heart-leaved, red-speckled stemmed plant can spread into and destroy or damage other gardens – and even walls and buildings.
Joy Adams, the council’s environment and housing enforcement manager, has written to residents to “make them aware of their legal responsibility.”
Her letter to residents states: “Whilst it is not illegal to have Japanese Knotweed in your garden, owners have a legal responsibility to take control of the weed so as to restrict its spread into other resident’s gardens.
“… Any residents finding the weed in their garden will need to take action to ensure they are suitably controlling the weed.
“…Under the Anti-social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014, Local Authorities can now issue Land owners with a Community Protection Notice to formally require them to control the spread of Japanese Knotweed on their land.
“We would however only consider this action where residents are taking no action, and as a result this is causing knotweed to significantly spread onto neighbouring land.
“A letter has been sent to other residents in the area, and I would encourage residents to discuss this problem between themselves as treating the problem collectively is more likely to have an impact in controlling the problem.”
Information on controls and the weed accompanies the letter.
It states Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica) was first introduced to Britain by the Victorians as an ornamental
plant.
The information adds: “The plant is perennial and extremely invasive. It thrives on disturbance. The tiniest piece can re-grow, and has been spread by both natural means and by human activity.
“It soon overruns riverbanks, railway embankments, road verges, gardens and hedgerows, threatening the survival of other native plant species and in turn insects and other animal species.
“Japanese knotweed is not native to Europe, therefore the pests and diseases that control it in Japan are
not present in the UK.
“… Japanese knotweed has an extensive root system which can cause damage to drainage systems,
structures and walls.”
More information is available on the council’s website.. http://www.coventry.gov.uk/info/67/nature_and_conservation/181/invasive_weeds/4