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Weeds Act 1959


The Weeds Act 1959 (7 & 8 Eliz. II c. 54) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom regarding the control of several injurious weed species throughout the UK. It received Royal Assent on 16 July 1959, and aims to prevent the spread of the Broad Leaved Dock, Common Ragwort, Creeping Thistle, Curled Dock and the Spear Thistle. It allows the Secretary of State, or any person acting on their behalf or the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, to use measures of enforcement to prevent the spread of weeds on private land, which, if not adhered to by the owner of said land, can lead to a fine up to £1000 and further punishment.

In Scotland, powers are now exercisable by the Scottish Ministers rather than the Secretary of State. This Act is amended for England and Wales by the Ragwort Control Act 2003. From 2014, the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act allowed a community protection notice to be issued for a range of nuisances, including an unreasonable failure to act over an issue such as weed control, of any species. Ignoring such a notice could then lead to an ASBO or criminal fine.

The Broad Leaved Dock is a resilient and common perennial plant found in grasslands throughout the United Kingdom. Unaffected by regular climatic variations and all but the most acidic soils, the Broad Leaved Dock can produce around 60,000 seeds a year and flowers from June to October. The seeds can survive for up to 50 years in soil due to a 'chemical that inhibits microbial decay'.


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