If local councils or police are made aware of someone who's "acting unreasonably and persistently or continually acting in a way that has a detrimental effect on the quality of life of those in the locality" they can issue a community protection notice. These notices can be issued for a range of reasons including, noise nuisance, rubbish tipping and antisocial behaviour, however, they can also be issued for problems relating to invasive species like Japanese knotweed.
This means that if someone is not taking steps to control the Japanese knotweed on their property in a reasonable way, then a community protection notice can be served. This is usually a last resort after a mandatory written warning. At the point that a community protection notice is served, the individual needs to make reasonable efforts to deal with their Japanese knotweed problem. This could include, enquiring and implementing a professional Japanese kntoweed treatment program.
What happens if you don't respond to a community notice?
When you're issued a community protection notice, it's vital that you take steps to respond to it as soon as possible. Some community notices will specify a period of time in which you need to start taking steps to resolve the problem. Failure to do so, without a reasonable excuse, will be treated as a criminal offence! At this point, you could face an initial penalty notice fine of £100, however, if the Japanese knotweed still wasn't reasonably dealt with, you could be taken to court and prosecuted.
To give you an idea of the costs that can be be incurred, some people are handed a level 4 fine. For a small organisation or business, this could amount to as much as !
What should I do if I get community protection notice?
If you've been given a community protection notice for Japanese knotweed on your property, you need to get in touch with Japanese knotweed experts right away. The longer you leave the Japanese knotweed, the more likely you are to face a penalty or fine. Don't worry, obtaining professional advice is simple. Start by requesting a FREE Japanese knotweed survey. One of our knotweed experts will attend your property and firstly, confirm the plant is knotweed and secondly, recommend the best treatment plan to rid your property of Japanese knotweed for good.
Problems can arise if you decide to use a Japanese knotweed company that doesn't have the relevant qualifications to do so. Professional companies like us here at Taylor Total Weed Control, are members of the Property Care Association, which means we're recognised by mortgage lenders and other relevant agencies as being able to treat Japanese knotweed properly. This is definitely something you should look out for if you're responding to a community protection notice, because you don't want the Japanese knotweed to pop up again after only a few years!
Read More: What is the Property Care Association?
At Taylor Total Weed Control, we've spent years removing Japanese knotweed from commercial and residential properties. So, if you've been handed a community protection notice for Japanese knotweed, get in touch. We'll work with you to resolve the problem as quickly as possible!
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