Concerned residents in Scorton have been in touch as they have been passed from pillar to post trying to find out who has accountability of tackling the rampant Japanese Knotweed, an invasive species which can cause huge amounts of damage to other local flora and wildlife habitats.

Constituents have been signposted to Lancashire County Council, Wyre Council, Canal & River Trust, Myerscough College, Lancaster University, the Environment Agency, DEFRA, even the police!

Following some enquiries and asking for urgent action, I’m pleased that Lancashire County Council have now confirmed that they will be tackling the knotweed in June. Whilst I’m sad it won’t be in the next couple of weeks, I understand that the decimation of local authority budgets over the past thirteen years means that authorities are simply less responsive on which we see across our public services like road repair, weeding scheduling and refuse collection.

I’ll be on the look out to make sure that it finally gets sorted, but as ever please do get in touch at cat.smith.mp@parliament.uk if this persists.