Lovell staff join fight against invasive plant species in Hamilton

A team of gardeners from Lovell Partnerships recently joined forces with staff from South Lanarkshire Councill to help beat back an invasive species from a park in Hamilton.

The ten-strong crew took part in ‘Himalayan Balsam Bashing’, which involves pulling the shallow-rooted plant up by its roots to stop it spreading, at a volunteer day in Low Parks.  

Himalayan Balsam, also known as Impatiens glandulifera, is a large plant native to the Himalayas, and is considered to be invasive and non-native to the UK. Under the Wildlife and Environment (Scotland) Act 2011, it is an offence to introduce the plant into the wild in Scotland.  

Staff from Lovell and South Lanarkshire Council used their volunteer days to take part in the weeding. The local authority’s park rangers were on hand with advice on how to get rid of the plant safely and effectively and to show the volunteers around the locality.

Lovell is the developer behind Glow Garren, a recently launched development of 163 new homes, 40 of which are affordable for South Lanarkshire Council and are part-funded by the Scottish Government.

Lovell regional MD Kevin McColgan said, “At Lovell, we’re committed to taking an active role in promoting the environmental welfare and natural beauty of the communities we work with. It was great to see our staff rolling up their sleeves to help beat back this invasive species and we thank every one of them for getting stuck in. 

“We are also very grateful to South Lanarkshire Council staff, especially the Park Rangers, for their help, guidance, and support and we very much enjoyed working with them on the day.”

Sharon Egan, head of housing services at South Lanarkshire Council, added, “Housing is not just about buildings, it is also about people and communities, and this is a great example of that philosophy in practice. The effort put in on the day by the volunteers, and their desire to be there doing it, showed how working together in partnership and caring about the community beyond the housing development can enhance people’s lives in a meaningful way. I am delighted by this selfless work that will benefit the local surroundings and the enjoyment of open spaces by local people.”