Knotweed survey at planning stage could save home owners thousands
A JAPANESE knotweed survey of sites which are the subject of planning applications has been suggested by a Mayo councillor.
The move, said Councillor Cyril Burke, could save home owners thousands of euro in the long-run.
At a roads committee meeting, he explained how he had become 'familiar' with knotweed recently on behalf of a client. There were people out there who it is costing thousands to resolve problems they have with the plant.
He suggested that when people are looking for planning permission, they should do a survey of their lands for knotweed before they start.
The reality is there might only be a shoe's amount of the plant at their entrance, but then it gets pulled in and costs them thousands at a later date to resolve.
The consequences of knotweed are 'mind-boggling', he said.
By doing a survey it would be doing people a favour into the future.
Another committee member, John O'Malley, who recently questioned the money being spent by the council on dealing with knotweed, said he had been contacted by five or six people who said they had sprayed the plant themselves and have never seen it since.
He appreciated there were different strains of it, but spraying seemed to kill the majority of the plant.
Councillor Burke said his information was that by doing this, all it was doing was containing the plant. It is lying there beneath the surface and when touched it takes off again.
Knotweed needs to be taken out of the land, brought away and treated.
Councillor Richard Finn said knotweed in his area – Claremorris – had been sprayed three times and was now dead and done with.
Director of services Tom Gilligan said the budget for knotweed in the county was €75,000 – 'not enough'.
The plant is widespread, he said, and is impacting on house building and economic development. “It needs to be tackled.”
It was agreed to have an expert on the plant address the committee – parks superintendent Peter Gill will give a presentation when they next meet.