Monster weed infestation sparks outrage in $7m neighbourhood

Residents of a wealthy London street claim they are struggling to sell their houses as one of their neighbours refuses to address his derelict property.

The dispute centres on a property in Chelsea owned by Nicholas Halbritter, which his neighbours claim has been overtaken by a three-metre-tall mass of Japanese knotweed, rats and foxes, The Times UK reported. 

Halbritter, a former councillor for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC), was prosecuted in 2017 for failing to maintain his property. 

However, his neighbours claim in the years since he has not managed the invasive plant.

“He just ignores them, and they don’t fine him,” Nik Hoexter, a neighbour of 40 years, told The Times.

“They are calling it a spat between neighbours, but it is much more serious.” 

Christine Gambles, who also lives on the Chelsea street, believes the weed infestation has affected local property values. 

‘The house is derelict. Foxes literally live inside it, and we see them poking their heads out of the window,” The Daily Mail quoted Gambles as saying.

“The whole road is saying that it is an eyesore and it is affecting the value of our houses. Who the hell is going to buy a house with knotweed in it?”

Apartments on the street sell for up to £1 million ($2 million), while the street record for a house is £3.7 million ($7.5 million). 

Residents on the street have started a petition to request the council to take enforcement action against Halbritter. 

The petition has been signed by 46 people from 38 separate households on the same street, according to local media outlet The Chelsea Citizen.

A RBKC spokesperson told The Times they have met with Halbritter’s neighbours on many occasions and “taken complaints seriously”. 

“Both our planning enforcement and environmental health teams have exhausted their powers and provided advice to the property owner,” the spokesperson said.

The media outlet approached Halbritter for comment.

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