Japanese knotweed nightmare has made my seaside house unsellable

A grandmother resides a Japanese knotweed ‘nightmare’ after an invasion by the backyard menace left her seaside house unsellable.

When Glenys Parsons and her late husband, Tony, purchased their neat, terraced home excessive above Swansea Bay in south Wales virtually 25 years in the past, they hoped it will assist fund their retirement.

Instead, the two-bed property has turn into an unsellable distress – because of rapacious Japanese knotweed that has taken over their backyard.

The supply of the weed is a neighbouring backyard owned by a housing affiliation that refuses to even attempt to cease its unfold, Mrs Parsons claims.

As a outcome, the knotweed now covers virtually each inch of the now-widowed Mrs Parsons’ backyard and has began to destabilise a 15-foot retaining wall on the fringe of her property.

‘It is a complete nightmare,’ mentioned retired carer Mrs Parsons, 69, who has a son and two granddaughters.

Glenys Parsons mentioned she resides a Japanese knotweed ‘nightmare’ after her backyard was invaded by the invasive plant (pictured)

The knotweed has began to destabilise a 15-foot retaining wall on the fringe of her property (pictured)

But the more durable they toil, the sooner and extra vigorously it grows again, Mrs Parsons mentioned.

The neighbouring property was owned by Swansea Council, who commonly despatched workmen to thwart the weed’s progress by spraying it with herbicides.

But when it was offered off to a housing affiliation – Coastal Housing – in 2008, the therapy stopped and it has been allowed to run riot ever since.

Mrs Parsons mentioned she has written quite a few letters and emails to Coastal Housing – with pictures and even educational papers on Japanese knotweed – making them to attempt to curb its unfold, however they refuse.

She mentioned: ‘They had the nerve to inform me it would not unfold so I despatched them plenty of articles written by scientists and backyard specialists stating the precise reverse, however they nonetheless refuse to do something about it.

‘It’s fairly apparent to me they simply don’t need the expense of treating it.

‘As a outcome we’re having to take care of it as greatest we will however I’m almost 70 and it is onerous work. 

Mrs Parsons (pictured) claims her two-bed property has turn into an unsellable distress – because of rapacious Japanese knotweed

Mrs Parsons claims the he supply of the weed is a neighbouring backyard owned by a housing affiliation that refuses to even attempt to cease its unfold

‘I’ve obtained an enormous backyard of my very own to take care of on the home the place I reside and haven’t got the time or power any longer.

‘I’d promote it if I may however it’s unsellable. No one would need to purchase a home with knotweed everywhere in the backyard and threatening the retaining wall.

‘No one would be capable of get a mortgage on the place anyway due to the weed.

‘Me and Tony purchased it as an funding property for £32,000 in 2000. He thought it will assist fund our retirement, bless him, nevertheless it hasn’t labored out that approach and he died early, on the age of 52, just a few years later.

‘I really feel like I’m caught with a nightmare now. It may be very, very tense.

‘I’m additionally worrying that if it spreads past my backyard, to our neighbours on the opposite aspect of us, they may sue me. That retains me awake at night time too.’

Mrs Parsons added: ‘Before my son’s girlfriend moved in, the property was left empty for nearly a yr due to this drawback.

‘Although the home is not affected as such, she will’t use the again backyard as a result of it is so thick with knotweed. It’s an unpleasant jungle of the stuff.’

Coastal Housing’s head of upkeep Andrew Thomas mentioned: ‘There is a small patch of knotweed positioned within the backyard of the Coastal property which is famous on our knotweed register for normal monitoring and therapy.

‘The most up-to-date therapy of this space was October 2023. The fence bordering the property was additionally inspected and repaired presently.

‘Where knotweed is affecting non-public gardens, we’re unable to deal with or keep these areas.’

Japanese knotweed is the most typical of 4 invasive knotweed plant species within the UK. 

Mrs Parson fears the knotweed may trigger structural injury to her property after masking a wall in her backyard (pictured)

Mrs Parsons and her son’s girlfriend, who at present lives in the home in Swansea, should spend an entire day and several other evenings hacking away on the knotweed each week to attempt to preserve it beneath some type of management (pictured)

Japanese knotweed is the most typical of 4 invasive knotweed plant species within the UK (inventory picture)

These are Japanese knotweed, Dwarf knotweed, Giant knotweed, and Bohemian (hybrid) knotweed.

Knotweed can develop in most soil situations discovered within the UK and notably in artifical habitats similar to roadsides, waste floor, railway embankments and cuttings, and spoil suggestions which are made up of waste materials from mining or quarrying.

It’s additionally generally discovered alongside rivers and streams.

Knotweed spreads by way of direct rhizome (root) development and new plant development from the dad or mum plant’s stem and rhizome fragments. A brand new plant can develop from items of rhizome as small as 1cm.

The UK Government’s web site says: ‘You should cease Japanese knotweed in your land from spreading off your property. 

‘Soil or plant materials contaminated with non-native and invasive vegetation like Japanese knotweed could cause ecological injury and could also be labeled as managed waste. 

‘You don’t legally should take away Japanese knotweed out of your land until it is inflicting a nuisance however you may be prosecuted for inflicting it to unfold into the wild.’