CIEEM President gives evidence in Parliament on Japanese Knotweed

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Today, our President, Max Wade CEcol CEnv FCIEEM, gave evidence to the Science and Technology Committee on Japanese Knotweed and the built environment and the experience of professionals working in this area.

Max was joined by Dr Daniel Jones (Managing Director, Advanced Invasives, and Honorary Researcher, Swansea University), Sean Hathaway (Environment Officer, Swansea Council) and Ben Lindley (Sales and Marketing Director, Japanese Knotweed Ltd).

Watch the inquiry session here.

The main outcomes were:

  • A consensus that the recent research by AECOM and the University of Leeds provides sound evidence that:
    – Japanese Knotweed is no more damaging to buildings than other problem plants.
    – The zone of impact of Japanese Knotweed of 7m needs reducing.
  • Other evidence was provided to the Inquiry which supported these conclusions.
  • The need for an evidence based risk assessment for practitioners to use to advise where management is deemed necessary.
  • A pledge from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors that it will revise their Japanese Knotweed guidelines in the light of new information and before the end of 2019.
  • A recommendation to determine what progress has been made in the battle against Japanese Knotweed nationally and what lessons can learned.

Given the Committee’s tight focus on Japanese Knotweed, this leaves the need for a risk assessment for other invasive non-native plant species outstanding.

The inquiry session can be viewed on: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0c0w7n8/select-committees-japanese-knotweed-committee