A LOCAL beauty spot has been invaded by Rhododendron.
The shrub, which many people like to cultivate in their gardens, has become the terror of Tytherington Bluebell Wood and needs to be nipped in the bud before it sees off all its gentler neighbours.
For experts claim that the bush that grows at a furious speed is putting other plants and wildlife living in the 400-year-old copse in the shade and preventing them from flourishing.
And that means the resident birds, butterflies and moths are suffering.
Now the local council have accepted the species with its huge showy blossom is such a blooming nuisance that it will hold crisis talks with concerned residents over ways to get rid of the menace.
It is holding a public consultation at Tytherington Family Worship Church on Dorchester Way on February 28.
Its officers and Bollin Valley Partnership staff and RSPB representatives will be on hand from 3pm to 7pm to answer questions about the problem of Rhododendron which has formed dense thickets in the woodland. The shrub likes its home so much it is spreading like wildfire and shades the natural plants and is stopping tree seedlings from growing.
Tytherington Wood is owned by the council and forms part of Riverside Park between Macclesfield and Prestbury. As an ancient broad-leaved woodland with a history of more than 400 years, it is a rarity in Cheshire and is considered to be a priority for conservation.
It is still very rich in wildlife with a total of 181 species of butterflies and moths and 32 species of breeding birds recorded during surveys last year. It is particularly important as a bluebell woodland and there are 61 plant species including yellow archangel, wood sorrel and lesser celandine.
The council will cull the Rhododendron in a safe, environmentally friendly manner by injecting small quantities of herbicide directly into its stem.
A spokesman said: "The project could take months, or even years, but once it is completed restoration work can take place, including planting cleared areas with native bluebells and shrubs, and re-establishing the hedgerow around the wood."