In a post published last month, I said I’d let you know when Parliament passed the new hedgerow regulations. Today, I’m doing just that.
The Management of Hedgerows (England) Regulations 2024 puts the baseline for hedgerow management practices into law, providing a consistent approach for their protection across the country.
This includes:
- a 2-metre buffer strip, measured from the centre of a hedgerow, where a green cover must be established and maintained. Also, no cultivation or the application of pesticides or fertilisers should take place within this buffer strip
- a hedgerow cutting ban from 1 March to 31 August (inclusive).
As I mentioned in my last post, these practices are subject to exceptions which you can find in the legislation. They broadly mirror the previous approach under cross compliance. This will make it straightforward for farmers and others who are familiar with the requirements.
You can find guidance on these rules and exemptions in the buffer strip guidance and the cutting and trimming guidance on GOV.UK.
Many farmers and land managers are already going much further than the rules contained in the new regulations.
This is shown through the uptake of hedgerow management actions through our environmental land management schemes. Over 20,000 agreements contribute to the management of over 60,000 miles of hedgerows in England.
The new regulations support those participating in our schemes or receiving grants by providing a basis of good hedgerow management that all must follow.
Further details on how to get involved in hedgerow management offer can be found on the Funding for farmers, growers and land managers page on GOV.UK and through our dedicated Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) site.
The regulations will be enforced by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA), in a fair and proportionate way and they have been talking to farmers and others about the best approaches. From day one, they will take an advice-led approach, with stronger actions in only the worst cases.
The RPA will hold a public consultation on how to implement and enforce these protections in due course.
The regulations are designed to provide an extra level of reassurance that the same management approach is used across the country.
Follow the Rural Payments Agency blog for the latest.
8 comments
Comment by M knibbs posted on
Why doesn't the Government make it law that trees are once again planted in hedgerows instead of taking up valuable land that could be growing food.
Comment by The Team posted on
Hello,
Thank for visiting the blog.
It's all about balance - we encourage farmers to consider planting trees on less productive land and our agroforestry offer (tree planting that is deliberately combined with food production on the same land) seeks to support tree planting into the farmed landscape. This post goes into more detail: https://defrafarming.blog.gov.uk/2024/01/23/spotlight-on-new-actions-agroforestry-and-improvements-to-our-trees-and-woodland-offer/
There are a number of actions to support hedgerow establishment and maintenance. Here's a link to learn more:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/sfi-actions-for-hedgerows
Best wishes,
The Team
Comment by Mary Knibbs posted on
You may be encouraging Farmers to do so, which does not mean that is necessarily so, what of landowners and the like ?
The PC in my Village recently decided to take land for trees that was previously us for grazing livestock, despite the fact that the Village has two recent woodlands within short distance.
My opinion is that the action was well intentioned but misguided, we have a growing population that will require feeding, I find the suggestion that we can rely on buying from abroad naive, the supposition that other Countries would be happy to sell to us,always presuming that they had food to spare and indeed the want to sell to us, food would be a very useful weapon in anyone`s armoury.
Comment by The Team posted on
Hi Mary,
On your point about food production, we'll link to Minister Zeichner's speech at the NFU summer reception last month in which he describes food security as national security: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/minister-daniel-zeichner-nfu-summer-reception-speech.
Our agroforestry schemes are carefully regulated by Defra and its Arm's Length Bodies (ALBs) which include Forestry Commission and Natural England. There will have been an assessment before allowing a change of use of the land from grazing land to woodland to ensure this transition would provide a positive environmental impact.
Best wishes,
The Team
Comment by Mike Furness posted on
Morning Defra,
Is a farmer allowed to trim his garden hedge with a hand held hedge trimmer prior to 1 September just as his Urban neighbours can ?
Comment by The Team posted on
Hi Mike,
Thanks for getting in touch. Hedgerows that mark the boundary of a dwelling house are exempt from the regulations.
Hope that helps,
The Team
Comment by Trish Mackinnon posted on
I need to know about the protection of ancient boundary hedgerows when planning permission has been granted to a property developer to destroy most of this hedgerow for a site entrance. Is mitigation allowed by just putting in new hedging somewhere else on the plot. The site is best arable coastal land in a rural area just outside East Wittering village.
Comment by The Team posted on
Hi Trish,
Thanks for getting in touch. This is a matter for your local planning authority. If you believe there has been any offence committed under the new hedgerow management regulations, you can report that to the Rural Payments Agency to investigate using the contact details below:
Email: ruralpayments@defra.gov.uk
Telephone 03000 200 301
Thanks,
The Team