Pest control and the gardener

Control by the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949

Under this legislation Plymouth City Council has a duty to keep its district free from rats and mice. If the Pest Control Officers believe an allotment holder is causing rats or mice to be attracted by their action or in-actions they will take steps to correct the problem and can pass the cost onto the person responsible. You must consider storing seeds, bulbs, etc in rodent proof containers. Sheds should be secure and not allow access to rats and mice. Allotments must be kept tidy to prevent rats and mice using discarded equipment (planks, cloches, corrugated iron, pots) as harbourage.

Japanese Knotweed and its control under The Environmental Protection Act 1990

Japanese Knotweed (scientific name Fallopia Japonica) was introduced to the UK in the mid nineteenth century as an ornamental plant. Since then it has become a serious problem in a range of habitats, particularly roadsides, riverbanks and derelict land, by displacing native flora and causing structural damage. In the UK, although seeds are produced by Japanese Knotweed plants, these are rarely viable. Therefore spread is by vegetative means, either by rhizome (root) fragments, or by crown (base of the stem) and stem segments. The majority of Japanese Knotweed has been spread by riverbank erosion, and by mans' activities, such as fly tipping garden waste and moving contaminated soil. Mechanical flails and mowers will also spread the plant.

Legal status

In 1981, The Wildlife and Countryside Act made it illegal to spread Japanese Knotweed. Any excavated soil from areas were Japanese Knotweed has established must be disposed of at a licensed landfill site and not reused in further construction or landscaping. When disposing of contaminated soil it is essential that the landfill operator is made aware of the presence of Japanese Knotweed and that the soil is not used for landscaping or restoration works at the tip site. Section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 places a duty of care on all waste producers to ensure that any wastes are disposed of safely and that a written description of the wastes, and any specific harmful properties, is provided to the site operator.

Noise and its control by The Environmental Protection Act 1990

Excessive noise can be investigated and can be regarded as a statutory nuisance and a Notice served to comply with conditions of Notice. Should those conditions not be met formal action may follow.

Rubbish, bonfires and control of them by the Environmental Protection Act 1990

The aim of this is to bring to your attention to options that you may not be aware of that are available for the disposal of your garden waste and other rubbish.

Chelson Meadow runs a free service for the public to dispose of unlimited quantities of green garden waste. More details can be obtained by telephoning Chelson Meadow Waste Disposal Services on 408408. There are also a number of civic amenity sites run by Plymouth City Council which are available to the public, but not for commercial use.

Other alternatives for disposing of green waste include composting, and advice can be obtained by telephoning the Tidy Plymouth Officer, on 01752 307874. The Council has a special collection for bulky waste. Householders may arrange to have up to 40 bags or 30 manageable sized bundles of refuse collected, however, this does not include earth or any building materials. Details of the special collection service are available by ringing 01752 304750 or at the First Stop desk in the ground floor of the Civic Centre. Further information regarding this service is given on our bulky waste collection page.

Although the Environmental Regulation Service team would always prefer to resolve any situations amicably, the Department has a duty under the above legislation to take action, should a statutory smoke nuisance occur. Members of the public holding bonfires producing smoke which are deemed to be a nuisance, leave themselves open to further action. Likewise the indiscriminate disposal of waste, so called fly tipping, will be investigated by us and hefty fines are awarded by the courts upon successful prosecutions.

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