Japanese knotweed specialists in Leeds

Knotweed and the council in Leeds

Leeds City Council doesn't publish a dedicated knotweed page. For knotweed on public land, contact the council directly. Knotweed on private land is the landowner's responsibility.

Local background

• Research by the University of Leeds and AECOM found no evidence that knotweed causes significant damage to buildings, and was presented to a House of Commons select committee inquiry in January 2019. (source)
• Leeds City Council's 2006 Biodiversity and Waterfront Development planning guidance names knotweed as a species of particular concern along the city's waterways, including the River Aire, and expects control method statements on affected development sites. (source)
• A December 2014 Parks and Countryside report said the council had prioritised knotweed control on highway verges and parks since 2005, and that about £40,000 a year was needed for invasive weed control in communal housing areas. (source)

The law in England

It isn't an offence to have Japanese knotweed on your land, but under section 14 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 it is an offence to plant it or otherwise cause it to grow in the wild. Government guidance says you must stop it spreading off your property. Soil or plant material containing it is likely to be controlled waste, which must only go to an authorised site, and councils can use community protection notices where someone's failure to deal with it unreasonably affects people nearby.

See our guidance on Japanese knotweed and the law.