I’m sorry but I haven’t budgeted for this…..

If I had a quid for every time somebody said….‘I’m sorry but I just haven’t budgeted for Japanese knotweed removal on this project?  …What can you do to help me…I just can’t afford what you are quoting…’ …..I’d be a rich man.

So, what am I expected to do in this scenario?

Usually this statement is made by a multi-millionaire developer business man who has just driven up in a flash car wearing an Armani bespoke suit.

So..when you’re selling your properties Mr Developer and someone says to you … ‘I’m sorry I haven’t budgeted for the multi jet orgasmatron Jacuzzi …’ – do you give it them free or at a reduced price or do you just say….. ‘WELL YOU CAN’T HAVE IT THEN’…I think we all know the answer to that one.

So why do these developers keep trying it on?

I guess they wouldn’t be as wealthy as they are if they didn’t fight over every penny that they spend….but why would they think I would cut my margins just to help them…because….. ‘they haven’t budgeted for knotweed removal’….?????

Any developer who knows what they are doing should budget for invasive weed control. I’m sorry but this is just a fact of life in the UK. Not only should they budget for it – they should also be negotiating the land price based on what invasive species are present.

Any urban area in this country has the potential to have a knotweed problem. Areas near to rivers, railways, linear corridors or simply areas susceptible to fly tipping will have one of the invasive problem species.

And don’t start me on flooding…

We are all aware of the huge problems with flooding that much of the UK has suffered from in the last few months. One of the more insidious threats that flooding has posed is that of invasive species being spread by the raised water levels. Much is made of damage to property and homes, but what about the seed and rhizome material spread from the likes of Himalayan balsam, giant hogweed and the ever spreading Japanese knotweed???

The UK is said to have Japanese knotweed in every 10km square – add flooding into this equation and you must be multiplying and spreading the growth ever more widely. Even without the flooding events that we all hear about – Japanese knotweed spreads quickly enough – add the huge areas covered by silt and debris in the aftermath of these events and the problems just get worse.

So please, please, please developers….don’t say ….you… ‘haven’t budgeted for these problems’ – these problems are here to stay for the foreseeable future – and ‘no’ – I’m not going to deal with them ‘free’ …. just because you cocked up.

Mike C