![\"10-questions-on-hedgerow-regulations\"](\"http:\/\/www.propertysurveying.co.uk\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/10-questions-on-hedgerow-regulations.jpg\")
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The existing Hedgerow regulations came in to force on 1 June 1997 and were created with the intent of protecting important countryside hedges from damage and destruction. The regulations are extremely complicated so we have put together a few often-asked questions that help to explain different aspects of the regulations and how they might affect you, your property and the risk of legal action.<\/p>\n
1. Do I need permission to remove part or all of my hedgerow?<\/strong><\/p>\n YES \u00e2\u20ac\u201c <\/strong>when your hedgerow is on land used for breeding or keeping horses, ponies or donkeys, common land, land used for forestry, agricultural land (including alongside) or a Local Nature reserve or Site of Specific Scientific Interest (SSSI) 2. Are there any other instances where I could remove a hedgerow without permission?<\/strong><\/p>\n 3. Is it just \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcgrubbing\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 up the hedgerow that applies?<\/strong><\/p>\n No. The regulations incorporate all actions that result in the hedgerow being destroyed. Normal management, eg. Coppicing, is perfectly acceptable however.<\/p>\n 4. Who can seek permission for removal and how is it done?<\/strong><\/p>\n Only the landowner, agricultural tenant, farm business tenant or certain utilities, such as electricity companies, can seek permission.<\/p>\n You send the local planning authority a \u00e2\u20ac\u02dchedgerow removal notice\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 for which there is no charge. The authority will be your local or district council, the county council if in Wales or the relevant National Park Authority.<\/p>\n They will visit the site to assess whether the hedge is \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcimportant\u00e2\u20ac\u2122<\/strong>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 5. What does the hedgerow being \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcimportant\u00e2\u20ac\u2122, or not, mean for me?<\/strong><\/p>\n If it IS<\/strong> important, the authorities will consider the circumstances and judge whether they justify removal. If they do not, then a \u00e2\u20ac\u02dchedgerow retention notice\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 will be issued and permission will be denied.<\/p>\n If it is NOT<\/strong> important, the authority cannot deny you permission to remove the hedgerow. However, if other authorities have notification requirements etc. then this does NOT<\/strong> override them.<\/p>\n 6. What if I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t hear from the authority?<\/strong><\/p>\n If 6 weeks pass after the authority receives your removal notice with no response, then you may remove the hedgerow.<\/p>\n 7. Can a Hedgerow Retention Notice be challenged?<\/strong><\/p>\n Yes. You can write to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (currently The Right Honourable Caroline Spelman MP) within 28 days of receiving the authority\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s decision.<\/p>\n 8. How long does a Hedgerow Retention Notice last?<\/strong><\/p>\n They are permanent. However, if circumstances change, you may be able to submit another removal notice.<\/p>\n
\nNO<\/strong> \u00e2\u20ac\u201c if it is shorter than 20 metres (unless it constitutes a section of a larger hedgerow) or if it is in, or borders, your garden.<\/p>\n\n