The Japanese Knotweed eradication service, GroundCover DBM, has claimed it has the answer for hundreds of UK development sites which are too expensive to develop due to difficult Japanese Knotweed.

The Welsh company, which has offices in Port Talbot, South Wales, and Ruthin, North Wales, specialises in landscape design, build and management, which has an on-site Klaro® service that effectively removes all traces of Japanese Knotweed at around half the cost of ‘dig and dump’ services.

“Sites are lying undeveloped because many owners fear it’s too expensive to clear Japanese Knotweed,” said Steve Blunt of GroundCover DBM.

“Conventional ‘dig and dump’ removal of knotweed involves excavating and transporting hundreds of cubic metres of soil to landfill, where it is now taxed at £80 per tonne. A typical 200 cubic metre excavation will cost around £20,000 in contractor charges and tax – and leave a big hole in the ground.”

The system, which has been successfully running for 15 years, has included clients such as the 2012 London Olympics, Welsh Government and Scottish local authorities, as well as commercial and industrial landowners, developers and contractors across the UK.

“Unlike wholesale excavation, the Klaro service removes only the Japanese Knotweed, including root fragments,” he added.

“Landfill costs are minimal and because the Government wants to encourage treatment as an alternative to dumping, clients can usually offset expenses by claiming Land Remediation Tax Credits. The bottom line is that using Klaro is typically half the cost of ‘dig and dump’.”

The announcement of the service comes after a report by the UN-backed CABI environmental organisation found that the estimated cost of Japanese Knotweed on GB development sites stood at a staggering £150 million.

Whilst Japanese Knotweed is classed as a Controlled Waste, the Klaro service works under an Environmental Permit from the Environment Agency, as well as using a self-propelled, chemical-free soil processing unit, purpose-designed for removing Japanese Knotweed by GroundCover DBM.