Thirty-foot-long weed in Eastbourne: It's 'a real eyesore'

Chris Mould, of Barming Close in Langney, said for the last 10 years a weed has been growing by his house.

He said, “I have probably the largest weed in Sussex growing outside my property for years.

“It’s not waste land, it’s where the kids can play in the summer. A real eyesore for all the residents.

This started out as a small weed and has continually grown over the years.”

Mr Mould said there was a wall which cannot be seen anymore because of the weed.

His complaint comes after Debra Eves from the Roselands area said her street looked ‘like the Wild West’ due to the amount of weeds growing on pavements and grass verges.

She said: “I am appalled at the state of the streets at the moment.

"The main routes into the town, and the seafront, are looking tidy but, step away and you’ll see neglected streets all over town.”

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The Herald contacted Eastbourne Borough Council (EBC) and East Sussex County Council (ESCC).

An Eastbourne Borough Council (EBC) spokesperson said: “ESCC pays the council to apply one treatment to the weeds every year.

“In previous years, more frequent weed control measures were in place but have been reduced in line with EBC’s commitment to increasing biodiversity in the town.

“In 2019 the council agreed a pollinator strategy and pesticide policy and subsequently published a biodiversity strategy.”

A spokesperson for ESCC said: “We have had an agreement for grass cutting, weed control and tree maintenance with Eastbourne for well over 10 years. The agreement has always included payment to cover the cost of these works in line with county council policy which is currently two grass cuts and one weed spray.”

However, the comments did not explain how this particular weed has managed to grow so large.

When shown the picture of the area with the weed near Mr Mould’s home a spokesperson for Eastbourne Borough Council said: “Our Environment First team has been notified and will visit the site as soon as possible.”

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