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The Law Society TA6 form is used in most domestic conveyancing transactions in England and Wales and recent versions up to and including the latest version (5^th Edition, 2024), the form has made reference to Japanese knotweed. The question “Is the property affected by Japanese knotweed?” has the possible answers ‘Yes’, ‘No’ and ‘Not known’.

The explanatory notes for the form state that “If you choose ‘No’ as an answer, you must be certain that, even if you cannot see any growth above ground, no rhizome (root) is present in the ground of the property or within three metres of the property boundary…  If you are not sure, indicate this as ‘Not known’.”

This question has been circulating, and festering over the last few years.

If you expect this article to “explore” the question and come to a caveated, mealy-mouthed conclusion about how “any plant can be a problem” and how “you should consult a specialist for any plant-related problem”, then let’s put that to bed right away.

So, insurance backed guarantees are brilliant, right?

You get protection if the company providing your Japanese knotweed remediation programme goes bust, on top of the contractor’s written guarantee – which now often stretches to a full ten years.

So why am I bitching about them *again*?

Up and down the UK, leaves are currently turning yellow on many plants and trees, and it is particularly striking the on the Japanese knotweed stands. In the autumn, as part of the natural process of senescence, which is the aging and eventual shedding of leaves, this process is primarily triggered by changes in the environment, especially the decreasing amount of daylight and cooler temperatures that occur in Autumn months. The relationship between the position of the sun and the yellowing of leaves is mainly due to the “photoperiod”, or the length of daylight.

Last month, the IPBES Invasive Alien Species Assessment was released to widespread (and deserved) acclaim.

This detailed, thorough report from the snappily-named ‘Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services’ runs to over 50 pages, contains a wealth of information and comes endorsed by senior figures at the United Nations and the Convention on Biological Diversity. The report has been well-received by environmental groups and forward-thinking media outlets across the world.

The authors have also made significant efforts to reach out and inform interested parties worldwide, including providing informative presentations to those dealing with invasive species in the UK.