15 Feb New tracking tool identifies 24 knotweed infestations with 4km of Southend on Sea
A new Japanese knotweed tracking tool launches today, providing an interactive online heatmap of Japanese knotweed sightings across the UK.
Exposed: The Japanese Knotweed Heatmap, identifies 24 infestations of the UK’s most invasive plant within 4km of Southend on Sea town centre and 12 infestations within 4km of Brentwood, suggesting Essex homeowners should be vigilant, particularly when buying or selling a property.
Designed to inform homeowners and potential homebuyers of the local presence of knotweed and the potential risk to their property, Exposed has already been populated with thousands of infestations by leading Japanese knotweed firm Environet UK, which has operated across the UK for over twenty years. It allows members of the public to enter a postcode to discover the number of reported knotweed sightings nearby. Knotweed hotspots are clearly visible in yellow or red.
The general public is encouraged to help populate the heatmap, which is the only live tool of its kind, by reporting knotweed infestations using the ‘Add Sighting’ feature and attaching a photograph of the plant so it can be verified by experts.
Introduced to the UK in the 1840s as an ornamental plant, Japanese knotweed now grows rampantly along railways, waterways, in parks and gardens and is notoriously difficult to treat. Its presence can prevent a mortgage lender approving a loan and therefore impact a property’s value by up to 10%.
To view Japanese knotweed infestations in your area or to report a sighting, please visit: https://environetuk.com/exposed-japanese-knotweed-heat-map-information
