A new project is planned for Lochaber in which offenders would learn new skills while helping to eradicate a highly invasive plant that is threatening the environment.
Japanese knotweed is a non-native plant that causes significant damage to roads, buildings and native biodiversity.
It has been identified as one of the five priority non-native species in the Highland Council area by the Highland Invasive Species Forum.
And the council’s Lochaber area committee today gave its backing to a request from Lochaber Fisheries Trust to the Landfill Communities Fund for £4,020 towards its £12,520 Lochaber Knotweed Control project.
The charity is initially planning to target the Japanese knotweed growing along the A82 Glasgow to Inverness road to the south of Fort William.
If this is successful, it is then hoping to extend the project into future years and tackle knotweed at Inverlochy Islands, Fort William town centre and Ardgour.
In its application for funding, the charity explains that the work would be undertaken by offenders, who would receive training and qualifications and gain a sense of responsibility for their local environment.
It states: “We would like to work with the Criminal Justice Service to train and equip offenders serving community payback orders so they can undertake knotweed control in the Fort William area.
“This will provide the resource required to make a meaningful impact on the problem and achieve local eradication of knotweed in some areas. It will also provide the offenders with training and a nationally-recognised qualification in pesticide application.
“The knotweed in Fort William is very visible and has attracted much attention in the local community and press.
“This project will demonstrate the feasibility of control and show a clear benefit from the work undertaken by those serving community payback orders.”
Scottish Natural Heritage has already pledged £7,000 towards the project. The remaining £,1500 would be provided by the charity providing staff time as an “in-kind contribution”.
The application for funding from the Landfill Communities Fund must now be considered by ENTRUST, which is the Government regulator for the fund.