Devaluation of my Property

Swanseajack

Hi, just wondering if anyone has experience of a neighbouring property’s Japanese Knotweed potentially affecting their house £value and quality of life? I live next door to a restaurant, and their rear garden is a mass of knotweed, which is encroaching on my boundary - within 2m - and is now growing against the end wall of the house. It is unsightly/concerning when I look out of my lounge window, only to see the 8’ plants looming over my fence. In the winter when I bought my house the plant was clearly dormant, and I recently learnt from a neighbour that the previous manager of the restaurant merely kept it strimmed and therefore out of sight. However, the manager recently left and the place is now empty, and currently with a biz agent. The garden has become a jungle. I spoke to the Council but they said they don’t have the money to serve Community Protection Notices, even though that could enforce a knotweed management plan to be put in place. I’m just wondering if there’s another way to address this…I’ve written to the owner via the agent, but no response. Could my local Councillor maybe intervene? Would be pleased to hear if anyone has had similar experience with this issue. Thank you.

sammyjammy

AI suggests they cannot refuse to issue one if its relevant, maybe contact your MP, if its left to do its thing it'll become an issue for the whole neighbourhood and that'll likely cost the council a whole heap more.

sammyjammy

Your local authority has two main pathways:

1. Issuing the Notice Itself

Issuing the written Community Protection Warning and the subsequent CPN requires only the time of authorized council officers or police. There are no processing fees for the authority to draft or serve these documents. [1, 2, 3, 4]

2. The Cost of Remedial Work

A local authority might claim they "have no money" if the CPN requires remedial work (such as clearing fly-tipping or boarding up a neglected property). Under the Act, the authority can carry out this work and bill the offender, but this requires upfront council funding which may be restricted. However, the CPN can simply demand the individual or business owner pay for or do the work themselves. [1, 2]

user1977

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82063931#Comment_82063931

Why MP when it's a council matter? The OP's councillor(s) are the first port of call.

The OP is also free to pursue it under their own steam as a legal nuisance.

daveyjp

All the time nothing is being done the issue will be getting worse.

If the property is vacant and you are getting no response from owner or agent its self help time. If the garden is accessible and not too large get a bulk amount of glyphosate weedkiller and a suitable sprayer. Apply to the plant now to at least begin the process of knocking it back.

FreeBear

If you take on the task of spraying, have a read of this - https://www.progreen.co.uk/blogs/guides-advice/problem-japanese-knotweed

Whilst some of their products are expensive, I had need of purchasing one of their lines. First treatment appears to have been very effective, and we will see if the pernicious little buggers (horsetail) return next spring.

Herzlos

Do you mean the restaurant has closed down and is currently derelict and up for lease? Or is it still operational?

If the former I'd be pressing the agent to get the owner to do something about it, and then I'd probably start treating it myself and sending the agent the bill. If it's left too long it's going to just keep getting worse.

Is Knotweed something that should have been declared by the seller? I'm not familiar enough with that aspect to comment, but it certainly seems like something they wouldn't have known about.

FreeBear

Is Knotweed something that should have been declared by the seller? I'm not familiar enough with that aspect to comment, but it certainly seems like something they wouldn't have known about.

Yes, Japanese Knotweed is something that needs to be declared on a TA6. Although, if it is far enough away, then it doesn't need a mention.

Baldytyke88

I agree with davejp, just do it yourself or pay someone to strim and spray with weed killer.

elsien

You need to be careful with atrimming because in some circumstances the bits that have fallen off can root and sprout themselves. And then if you are picking up the strimmed bits you have to consider safe disposal. You can’t just stick it in the garden waste.

I would probably also leave spraying until closer to autumn (end of August – October ) because that is when the stems start taking nutrients back into the roots so it’s more effective. I treated my neighbour’s and it took probably about three years before it stops reappearing in the spring, but because that was only a small amount I cut the stems and injected the weed killer into them. You can’t do that if there’s a garden full.

Momogeew

This post by @Doozergirl, property developer, a few years ago, is one to be aware of as 20/3/23

The most valuable post that most people have ignored for their own outdated opinions.    This is the official RICS framework on JKW - anyone who values a property on behalf of a mortgage company will be a RICS chartered surveyor and is subject to this guidance.  It's been in circulation for around three years now - it was introduced to me before then. 


Japanese Knotweed is not considered such a problem, a lot of what it's rumoured to do never happens and it's been deemed no worse than many shrubs that people would't give a second thought to.  o


My concern would be the office conversion and the quality of that conversion, given that many are carried out under permitted development and subsequently have lower standards