Japanese Knotweed - an aggressive invader

Weeding out a knotty problem

A pernicious and aggressive plant, listed by the Environment Agency as one of the UK's most unwelcome horticultural invaders, is to be rooted out along the route of a new link road.

The operation aims to stop the inexorable spread of Japanese Knotweed which is rated as a noxious brute and a bully in the plant world.

Knotweed was imported as an exotic flower by Victorian collectors, but it escaped the botanical garden and spread like wildfire across the British Isles. Now it is a confirmed pest, pushing out native plants, dominating the eco-system and unbalancing biodiversity.

The weed is also so tough it can smash its way through concrete - a real problem for the new £2 million Wolstanton link road.

The road, which will be constructed by Staffordshire Highways, will help take traffic out of the centre of Wolstanton and serve 250 new homes being constructed by Bloor Homes - who have financed the road.

It is all part of the growing popularity of the town and the revitalisation of an area once blighted by industrial decline and despair.

The new road will be 650m long will be re-badged as A527, taking A527 through traffic out of Wolstanton High Street.

The operation is being undertaken by a team from Bloor Homes, but with expert advice from specialists at the Environment Agency and Staffordshire Highways. Contractors employed by Bloor Homes will be entering the site of the proposed road this week to carry out essential advance work to enable the road to be built.

Every plant and its roots have to be dug out and buried at a safe location to a depth of 5 metres, to ensure it doesn't return from the dead. Every landowner who has this on their land has a legal obligation to root it out and destroy it, in line with the Environment Agency's rigorous regulations.

Staffordshire Highways Project Manager Steve Holsgrove said: "This is a nasty little invader that looks pretty but acts ugly. It's got to go for the sake of the local wildlife and to safeguard the future structural integrity of the new road.

"We want to ensure that any new road meets with the stringent standards demanded of highways in Staffordshire. Once it is adopted by Staffordshire as part of our network of over 3,500 miles of road, we want to make sure there will be no hidden surprises underneath the road.

"This is an investment for the future of Wolstanton and we don't want it undermined by this pernicious interloper. Every precaution is being taken to ensure we protect the community and their environment here," he said.

Page Last Modified: 30/01/2007 16:03:36

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