A regular blog recipient writes below about a potential health hazard on Home Farm. I'm all at sea with plant species but my correspondent seems to be on the case. Email me at broadgreen68@btinternet.com if you want to share a view or you have some specialist knowledge.
If you walk round the Home Farm perimeter, it is immediately obvious that the area earmarked for later phases of building is becoming infested with what I believe is Common Ragwort.
You may be aware that this plant is toxic to equines & some other mammals, its also, allegedly toxic by cutaneous absorption to humans. As far as I can make out, it is Persimmons legal responsibility to control the weed, particularly when it is likely to spread downwind to areas with horses or other agricultural land , which may be the case at Home Farm.
There is even a special act covering it, which spawned a code of practice: see invasive weeds
I've been out on the bike with a camera (see below) and without trespassing or taking a sample to key up the plant observed, I am fairly confident that it is likely to be common ragwort (the other species are not covered by the Act). The plant is spreading in an Easterly direction from the site, with clusters springing up on the disturbed land to the East of Court Road where the large drainage soakaway was installed as part of the development infrastructure.
A quick Google around reveals that although DEFRA are prime movers re ragwort, Councils may be involved - though in some its environment who take an interest and in others its highways. At CBC however, if you put in 'Ragwort' as a search term you get nothing.
I'll get out a botanical key book and see if I can positively ID this plant - meanwhile do we have any botanists in the village I wonder?
If you walk round the Home Farm perimeter, it is immediately obvious that the area earmarked for later phases of building is becoming infested with what I believe is Common Ragwort.
You may be aware that this plant is toxic to equines & some other mammals, its also, allegedly toxic by cutaneous absorption to humans. As far as I can make out, it is Persimmons legal responsibility to control the weed, particularly when it is likely to spread downwind to areas with horses or other agricultural land , which may be the case at Home Farm.
There is even a special act covering it, which spawned a code of practice: see invasive weeds
I've been out on the bike with a camera (see below) and without trespassing or taking a sample to key up the plant observed, I am fairly confident that it is likely to be common ragwort (the other species are not covered by the Act). The plant is spreading in an Easterly direction from the site, with clusters springing up on the disturbed land to the East of Court Road where the large drainage soakaway was installed as part of the development infrastructure.
A quick Google around reveals that although DEFRA are prime movers re ragwort, Councils may be involved - though in some its environment who take an interest and in others its highways. At CBC however, if you put in 'Ragwort' as a search term you get nothing.
I'll get out a botanical key book and see if I can positively ID this plant - meanwhile do we have any botanists in the village I wonder?
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