Man fined thousands of pounds after failing to clear Japanese Knotweed from Yorkshire land

James Daniel Bateman owns a site off Chapel Street in Wibsey.

In March 2018 Bradford Council received complaints from people living near the site that Japanese Knotweed was growing on the vacant land.

On Thursday Bateman, 45, of Grange Road, Hull, was due to appear in Bradford Magistrates Court to answer a charge of failing to comply with a court order that he eradicate the pernicious weed from his land.

He did not appear and was found guilty in his absence.

The Court was told that Bateman had been sent a community protection notice in Spring 2018, ordering him engage with a specialist contractor to clear the land of Knotweed.

He did not comply, and in 2019 was fined £1,000.

At that time, the court issued a notice ordering Bateman to have the work completed by August 2019.

Harjit Ryatt, prosecuting on behalf of the Council, told magistrates that the case took a back seat during to Covid pandemic, but when the land was inspected again in 2021, no work had been done to clear the knotweed.

Bateman later told the Court that he hadn’t been aware of any of the proceedings against him, and that he was no longer living at the address listed on the Land Registry.

The case was re-opened late last year, and Bateman was told he would have to provide the Council with the details of what work was being done.

At Thursday’s case Mr Ryatt told the court: “An officer went to the site in June, and saw some work had taken place on the adjacent land.

“As far as the removal and safe disposal of the Japanese Knotweed, the Council’s view is the work that has taken place has simply involved the Knotweed being chopped down and buried in the ground.

“This is not an appropriate procedure, as it will allow it to re-grow. It is the roots that are the problem – they can grow through tarmac.”

Magistrates found Bateman guilty in his absence. They fined him £1,100, ordered him to pay costs to the Council of £1,144, and a £440 surcharge.