Public Field Plants growing on our wall Brickwork, are they responsible to Sort it ??

Danny_G

A LEGAL QUESTION, about some public plants our wall:


Part of our property outside wall is against a Public footpath, and further down the wall is against a public field.

On the grass near the wall, on the field there is Ivy plant growing. This has crept up the wall, to the top and is in the wall brickwork (Which can cause damage to the wall, if not treated)

The ivy is coming from the field though, so is on the field (10 metres of it) - which has been neglected.

Who is legally responsible to clearing this up?

us? the field owners? council?


and what are the steps?

1) phone the council
2) show them photos of it

etc?

as they are responsible?


Edit- The ivy is climbing up 2 stories high, and is covering a VERY LARGE AREA.

so it isnt just a case of getting scissors, but thanks.

I think there would be a need for a specialist brick treator.

G_M

Simplest answer is to get a pair of secateurs, go round to the footpath/field, cut the ivy at ground level and wait for it to die.

Legal answer. Find out who owns the land (Land Registry or phone the council if you think it's council land) and write to them.

Danny_G

G_M wrote: »

Simplest answer is to get a pair of secateurs, go round to the footpath/field, cut the ivy at ground level and wait for it to die.

Legal answer. Find out who owns the land (Land Registry or phone the council if you think it's council land) and write to them.

Edit- The ivy is climbing up 2 stories high, and is covering a VERY LARGE AREA.

so it isnt just a case of getting scissors, but thanks.

I think there would be a need for a specialist brick treator.

neas

Dont be such a wuss. If you had been watching or maintaining said area beforehand you'd catch the ivy before it got 2m up. I just been controlling ivy off my trees at end of garden and as pointed out if you cut it at base the vertical ivy will die off (esp in summer) as it can no longer get nutrients and water from ground.

Some bit of it needs to be in ground.

I'd do this first and then try and get council to sort it at least it wont grow any larger. Seriously take u 1 hour max.

G_M

Danny_G wrote: »

Edit- The ivy is climbing up 2 stories high, and is covering a VERY LARGE AREA.

so it isnt just a case of getting scissors, but thanks.

I think there would be a need for a specialist brick treator.

Do you mean because the stem is too thick for seceteurs? Then get a saw!

Or do you mean because it needs cutting back at height? It doesn't. Cut the stems at ground level and wait!

In 6 months it will be dead. Then you can assess the wall and see if any real damage has been done.

DVardysShadow

Danny_G wrote: »

The ivy is climbing up 2 stories high, and is covering a VERY LARGE AREA.

so it isnt just a case of getting scissors, but thanks.

I think there would be a need for a specialist brick treator.

Then you need to go up 2 stories and start peeling it off from the top. Don't tear the ivy away from itself, let it hang. The more you peel, the greater the weight and you reach a point where the mass falls away with just a little help from you. Obviously, you may need a saw to deal with some bits.

Once you have pulled it down, you will be able to assess the damage.

Cutting it at the bottom is a good way to kill it, but dead dry ivy does not hang so well, weigh so much or peel so nicely when you come to remove it. For a smaller are, I would cut at the bottom, but if the mass looks like it will peel, then that is the easiest approach.

Danny_G

What is the WORSE CASE Damage, that Ivy plants can do to a wall?

Damage the brickwork? Grouting (which i know is a tiling term lol)

or the Cement work ?

casperlarue

quick search on google:

For brick or stone and mortar construction it is of general opinion that a soundly mortared installation is impenetrable to the climbing aerial roots and thus not damaged, and even protected from weathering by the ivy deflecting rain impact off the mortar. However, walls with pre-existing weakened or loose mortar may be badly damaged, as the ivy's roots penetrate the mortar and break up the wall. Subsequent ivy removal can be difficult, and often causes further damage. Modern mortars containing Portland cement and little lime are stronger than older mortar mixes composed of just sand and lime. Most mortar mixes began containing Portland cement in the 1930s.

silvercar

When we removed the ivy from the wall of our house the stems were three inches thick at ground level. Once those stems have been severed the ivy dies, though it can take a year for it all to look truly dead. Even when dead, detaching it from the wall can be a pain.