A UNIVERSITY student wants to raise awareness about the dangers of Japanese Knotweed after seeing it growing in Bromsgrove’s Golden Cross car park.
Luke Libby, originally from the town, is in his final year at Nottingham Trent University and is basing his dissertation on the plant.
Although it may seem like a relatively harmless plant, its root system extends far and wide, is fast spreading and can travel through underground structures and cause major damage to buildings.
Luke said: “It being present in such a prominent location in Bromsgrove could be potentially catastrophic for neighbouring properties.
“It can be incredibly difficult and expensive to remove and I feel the general public should be made aware of the risks.”
A spokesperson from Bromsgrove District Council said: “We are aware of the situation and will be treating it this year using herbicide treatment.
“Due to the size of the outbreak we’re expecting to be treating it for the next three to four years to force it into dormancy.
“Afterwards we will monitor the area and deal with any new growth as it shows itself.
“We want to reassure everyone that Japanese Knotweed itself is not dangerous to public health, and is actually edible, but it is destructive to the environment and extremely difficult to eradicate.”
Visit https://www.gov.uk/guidance/prevent-japanese-knotweed-from-spreading to learn more ways to stop Japanese Knotweed from spreading.
