30 March 2012
Caerphilly County Borough Council is acting as the lead authority in a Partnership that is tackling the infestation of the problematic plant species, Japanese Knotweed.
Caerphilly, along with other local authorities surrounding the Heads of the Valleys area including Blaenau Gwent, Merthyr, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Torfaen have collaborated with other agencies such as Keep Wales Tidy, South East Wales River Trust and the Welsh Government to effectively treat the weed in the South Wales Valleys.
Approximately 850,000 square metres of Japanese Knotweed was recorded through surveys of the county borough, and to date around 380,000 square metres of the plant has been treated with a glyphosphate based spray on over 900 sites within Caerphilly.
The control of this plant as well as other invasive plant species' in the area - Giant Hogweed and Himalayan Balsam - has been helped by training courses which have provided 65 volunteers and staff members with a variety of skills, including the application of herbicides and other skills which are required for the treatment of invasive plants.
Pat Mears, Head of Regeneration and Planning at Caerphilly County Borough Council said, "It is very common for the plant species Japanese Knotweed to have massively damaging effects to buildings and landscaping in our area. The Managing Invasive Plants Project implemented in the Heads of the Valleys area has proven itself as an effective initiative which can be rolled out across Wales and even wider."
The project is largely funded by the Heads of the Valleys Programme with additional support from Caerphilly County Borough Council.
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