It is an offence under Section 14(2) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to ‘plant or otherwise cause to grow’ in the wild any plant in Schedule 9 Part II, which includes Japanese Knotweed, Himalayan Balsam, Giant Hogweed and many other species of note.

To avoid delays to a project your surveyors should always bring to your attention the presence of invasive species if discovered during initial habitat surveys.

If any invasive plant species are present within a proposed development site, then a control method statement will be required.

Method statements should include plans showing the exact locations of invasive species, detailed control methods that best complement the proposed development works, and a timetable of implementation for control works.