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Japanese knotweed flourishes in warm spring

Japanese knotweed flourishes in warm spring

Residential knotweed encroachment

We were quoted in a leading news story in The Times at the end of May urging homeowners to scan their gardens for Japanese knotweed, as the change of season and warm weather creates “super growth” conditions. We estimate around 1 million UK properties are affected, each suffering a drop in value of up to 10% as a direct result of the plant’s presence and the stigma associated with it.

Encroachment is a major issue at this time of year, as knotweed starts growing rapidly and spreading, often across boundaries. Many people don’t realise that while they aren’t legally obliged to deal with knotweed growing in their own garden, they are responsible for preventing it from spreading to neighbouring properties and can be sued if they fail to act.

CEL Solicitors, who specialise in legal cases relating to Japanese knotweed, recently won a case against Preston Council on behalf of their client, Mary, who was a victim of knotweed encroachment from a nearby derelict railway line.

At first Mary thought the weed in her back garden was simply another eye-catching plant thanks to its brightly coloured shoots, but when her gardener failed to get rid of it using weed killer, she realised what she was dealing with. She was awarded over £27,000 in damages.

Our founder and MD Nic Seal is often involved in legal cases relating to knotweed, including verifying the source of an infestation and the approximate age of the plant, to help prove where it originated and how it spread.

If you think you are the victim of Japanese knotweed encroachment, misrepresentation or professional negligence then please give us a call. For small claims with a strong case we can put you in touch with legal representation who may act on a “no win, no fee” basis, to give you a good chance of recovering some of your costs without incurring any risk.

Robert Spaceman

“We had a large stand of bamboo removed, thinned, contained and replaced. The customer service has been first class. Joe and Jason were fabulous and kept me well informed at all times”.

5/5