Mansion Flat Residents Slam TfL Over Knotweed

Say transport company has failed to take action on troublesome weed

Residents of Flanders Mansions, a Victorian Mansion block of flats in Turnham Green have accused TfL of not properly dealing with an infestation of knotweed which has spread from railway tracks to their land which backs onto the tracks.

The residents say that the transport company has not kept abreast of the problem, are not disposing of dead material in the legal fashion and that they refuse to address the issue of reclaim to residents or to pay them for a costly 6 year treatment plan of their gardens, which is coming out of their service charge.

One representative said,"With regard to the Japanese knotweed we finally had a young man to look at the problem last week who I believe is in charge of treating this land. I asked him to request how exactly they intended to keep on top of their infestation and recompense for our knotweed and their assurances that we would be recompensed for any loss to the value of our properties. I heard nothing back and when chased was informed that he had been taken off the job and we were to deal with The London Underground. I asked him to send me details of who I should be contacting. I have heard nothing.

"I have tried to contact The Mayor who is the self appointed Chairman of TFL but to no avail.

"Transport for London’s attitude to the environment, their neighbours and their civil and indeed legal obligations is shocking. There is now a legal precedent for landowners suing TFL over JKW infestation and still they do nothing. Have other residents had similar problems and how should we proceed?

The residents have also struggled to get somebody to sort out a problem with broken, rusty barbed wire.

"The history to date with TFL has been shocking – we have been trying to get them to renew the broken, twisted, missing in parts and rusty barbed wire which backs on to our land -a few years ago a dead fox was entangled in it. We had two employees come to the property to look at it in June 2017 – they then refused to get back to us in any form and then months later TFL denied that they had even been to look!"

TfL have told residents that there is a treatment plan in place for the knotweed but locals say they have received no details.

The residents have been in touch with MP Ruth Cadbury to request assistance.

August 11, 2018