THE owner of a piece of land close to where a controversial concrete plant could be built has revealed why he is clearing the site.

A number of industrial diggers have been clearing trees on a piece of land adjacent to the A590 at Lindal, resulting in some assuming the work is connected to a proposed concrete plant.

Residents have been fighting the plans since they were first revealed last June, with many arguing the site was simply not suitable for such a development, given its proximity to the road.

South Lakeland District Council is currently deliberating an application from L&W Wilson to construct the plant, to include two 12-metre silos, with a decision potentially set to be made next month.

But landowner David Armer revealed the site clearance being carried out alongside the A590 at Lindal is in fact being done because of another unwanted invader.

"We got a letter from the council saying that we had Japanese knotweed on the site and it had to be removed," Mr Armer told the Evening Mail.

"The problem was, the site was that overgrown we had to dig a lot out to find it."

Japanese knotweed was introduced from Japan in 1825 as an ornamental plant. The plant is not unattractive but its rapid annual growth and relentless spread allows it to easily overwhelm a site and pose a risk to neighbouring properties.

Under the provisions made within the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, it is an offence to cause Japanese knotweed to grow in the wild.

Mr Armer also clarified that it is land next to his, owned by another landowner, where L&W Wilson hope to build the concrete plant.

"The clearance work I'm doing is nothing at all to do with the concrete plant," he said.

"I've had a lot of phone calls asking me if it is though."