Get 21Hedgerow Removal Notice.doc

The Hedgerow Regulations (1997) came into force on the 01 June 1997 under section 97 of the Environment Act 1995. They were introduced to protect important hedgerows in the countryside (and urban areas) by requiring a notification procedure to take place before any works can be carried out.

Late spring, early fall, or winter (when the hedges are fully dormant) are the best times for pruning hedges. Don't prune hedges during very hot, dry weather, and prune well before your first frost date.

If the hedge is solely on your property and does not mark a boundary between properties, you generally have the right to remove it without seeking permission from your neighbour. However, if the hedge is a boundary hedge, removing the hedge without the consent of your neighbour could lead to legal disputes.

If the hedge is solely on your property and does not mark a boundary between properties, you generally have the right to remove it without seeking permission from your neighbour. However, if the hedge is a boundary hedge, removing the hedge without the consent of your neighbour could lead to legal disputes.

You should only cut hedges outside of bird-nesting months. Nesting months are typically between March and August every year, but they may vary depending on weather conditions. It is a legal offence to harm nesting birds, or their eggs, under Section 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981.

Hedge laying is generally done between November and March. In upland areas, laying is often done after mid-February to avoid the risk of hard frosts. As a general guide, the leaves should have started to 'turn' before work begins and it is best to stop when the buds start to burst in the Spring.

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.