CPD Specifier magazine - January to May 2014 issue Jan 2014 | Page 41

Civils & Soft Landscaping

Tackling Japanese Knotweed and Bogus
Contractors
Food for thought from Herpetosure’s
Operations Manager and
Knotweed Expert, Simon York
some extent the case with Japanese Knotweed,
where smoke and mirrors are often used by others
to bamboozle customers.
We are not anti-innovation, in fact we are quite the
opposite, but customers should go for theoretically
sound and proven solutions; buying into the newest or most high-tech methodology, impressive as
it may appear, is not always the best step forward
- the acid test is whether it eradicates Knotweed
permanently and on time, or not!
Anyone who has had a Knotweed experience will
tell of the huge price variations between contractors, and for that reason customers should be
aware that when it comes to invasive weeds, the
devil really is in the detail - it is vital that when
making price comparison between quotes that it is
on a like for like basis - if someone tells you they
can eradicate Knotweed at half the price of other
tenders then something is amiss.

So, you have Japanese Knotweed on your site;
what do you do? Where does your responsibility
start and finish? And how can you move your
project forward? These questions are well justified,
however the most poignant question that developers and consultants are now asking themselves
is - who can I trust?
Transparency is king - no one likes to feel like
they have been had, nor are they comfortable with
parting with their own or their clients cash, without
clearly understanding what they’re getting for their
money.
There are few industries out there where consumers are almost forced into leaving a problem
in someone else’s hands, however, technology
related services echo this scenario - this is to

As is often the case, there are the good, the
bad, and the not to be trusted, so choose wisely.
Remember the most effective way to reduce costs
and move projects forward is to involve a solid
Knotweed contractor at the planning or feasibility
stage. it’s the only way to make sound commercial
decisions.
The longer you spend talking to a JK contractor,
the more time you will have to work out whether
their proposal will work and if it illustrates best
value. So often I receive tenders which have ‘fire
fighting’ written all over them; the problem has
been put off to the eleventh hour and damage
limitation has become the priority - we can still be
effective, although this is when Knotweed costs
are at their most frightening.

large enough these will be free of charge, in some
instances where projects are very small you may
be asked to cover expenses; site visits are critical
if you are to achieve best value. They will also
give you your first insight as to what you are up
against, and who you are potentially signing up to
work with.
Step two, The Proposal; this is where a good
contractor will really begin to stand out from the
crowd - developing an innovative programme
that suits you. The right contractor may even look
at what aspects of the process you can deliver
yourself under supervision, vs what should be left
to us. If you are a developer or main contractor,
for example, this approach will not only help you
understand the eradication process, it will also
mean that in a monitored excavation / cell burial
situation, your own plant and operatives could be
involved to help drive down costs.
The proposal will also factor in the timescale within
which to eradicate the Knotweed. The more time
you have, the better. You may be surprised to hear
the costs of herbicidal treatment in one growing
season can be as little as 10% of what instant
eradication would be.
Step three, Delivery; whatever the timescale or
the strategy the invasive weed contractor will
need to liaise with your on-site staff. Again, good
JK contractors will put this idea forward - their
management team should take the lead in making
all other contractors aware of the implications of
JK and will make themselves available to give advice - contractors spreading Knotweed across the
site is a frequent problem, and it’s all due to poor
communication and a lack of understanding.

So what is the first step; as soon as you know
you have invasive weeds on-site call your JK
contractor and arrange a site visit - if the job is

01664 444660

www.herpetosure.com

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