Is it illegal to remove a hedgerow?
Removing a hedgerow is a criminal offence which can lead to potentially unlimited fines if the breach is deemed serious enough to be heard in the Crown Court.
Are hedgerows protected in the UK?
A hedgerow is important, and is protected, if it’s at least 30 years old and meets at least one of these criteria: marks all or part of a parish boundary that existed before 1850. contains an archaeological feature such as a scheduled monument.
Are hedges protected in conservation areas?
If a hedgerow is not protected under these Regulations, it may be protected if it comprises trees in a Conservation Area, or trees protected via a tree preservation order or if a felling licence is required.
What is a historic hedgerow?
It marks an archaeological feature of a site that is a scheduled monument or noted on the Historic Environment Record; It marks the boundary of a pre-1600 estate or manor or a field system pre-dating the Enclosure Acts.
Is it criminal damage to cutting Neighbours hedge?
Is it illegal to cut the hedge between me and my neighbour? You are allowed, by law, to prune the roots or branches of a hedge if it’s a nuisance and protruding into your garden. And therefore your neighbour can do the same if it’s your hedge.
Do you need planning permission for a hedgerow?
The use and nature of hedges can be controlled through planning conditions and legal covenants. You don’t normally need permission to plant a hedge in your garden. However, you are responsible for looking after any hedge on your property and for making sure it is not a nuisance to anyone else.
Are Cornish hedges protected?
Cornish Hedges are not protected, which means they are at risk from destruction and development. Hedges link a network of habitats and enable otherwise isolated species to move freely among them.
Do you need planning permission to take a hedge out?
You do not need any sort of permission to plant a hedge in your garden. Equally, no law or regulation states that you must obtain planning permission to remove a hedge on your property. However, it is your responsibility to maintain and control the hedge to avoid neighbour disputes.
Is cutting hedges in June Illegal?
Hedge cutting and the law We recommend avoiding hedge cutting during the main breeding season for nesting birds, which usually runs throughout March to August each year. If someone is cutting a hedge during this period, speak to them and politely mention the risk to birds’ nests, and the laws protecting nests.
When did the Hedgerows Regulations come into effect?
Hedgerows Regulations 1997. Jump to navigation Jump to search. The Hedgerows Regulations 1997 of England and Wales came into effect on 1 June 1997 and is government legislation which falls under the Environment Act 1995. It was created to protect hedgerows, in particular those in the countryside aged 30 years or older.
Why are hedgerows important to England and Wales?
n England and Wales the Hedgerows Regulations 1997 are intended to protect important countryside hedges from destruction or damage. The legislation is very complicated and has been the subject of much criticism – not least from the poor souls who have to try to administer it.
Why was it an offence to remove a hedgerow?
It was created to protect hedgerows, in particular those in the countryside aged 30 years or older. Since the legislation came into effect it is a criminal offence to remove a hedgerow in contravention to the regulations.
How big do hedgerows have to be in order to be protected?
This complex mechanism offers some protection for hedgerows of more than 20 metres in length or which join other hedgerows provided they adjoin agricultural land, forestry, paddocks, common land, village greens, a site of special scientific interest or a local nature reserve.