Farmers consulted on hedgerow cutting dates and buffer strips

Farmers and contractors in England are being asked for their views on hedgerow protection, including whether there is still a need for 2m buffer strips and whether the dates for hedgetrimming should be changed.

A new Defra consultation explains that, currently, hedgerow management is linked to cross-compliance – the conditions farmers must meet to claim subsidies under the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS).

See also: Strong farmer support for hedge planting – if it pays

Other regulations require that local authority approval is needed before hedgerow removal of 20m or more is allowed, while the Wildlife and Countryside Act prohibits anything that might disturb nesting birds or sheltering animals.

With the BPS scheme set to be delinked from land in 2024, Defra is now seeking to change the way hedgerow protection is legislated for.

Future hedgerow policy options

One option is simply to roll over existing cross-compliance rules; for example, maintaining the rule that buffer strips must be provided for up to 2m beyond the central point of the hedge on all fields over 2ha, and not to spray chemicals on this ground.

Defra could also retain the existing closed period for hedgetrimming from 1 March to 31 August.

“But rather than simply replicating existing requirements, we could look to develop new legal protections for hedgerows,” says the consultation.

“This could give us more flexibility to shape hedgerow policy to help achieve environmental and net-zero outcomes, and allow us to consider protecting a broader range of hedgerows, beyond just those on agricultural land.”

The consultation therefore contains a wide range of questions, including around buffer strips and cutting dates, as well as the possibility of exemptions for smaller farmers, the definition of an “important” hedgerow, and where Defra should focus its ambitions for future hedgerow policy.

British countryside ‘landmark’

Commenting on the consultation, Defra secretary Therese Coffey said hedgerows were a “landmark” of the British countryside. 

“We are already enhancing hedgerows through our new farming schemes, and the consultation launched today will provide further legislative backing to make sure our hedgerows are better managed and protected in the future.”

The government target is to create or restore 30,000 miles of hedgerows by 2037, and 45,000 miles by 2050, returning hedgerow lengths in England to 10% above the 1984 “peak” of 360,000 miles. 

Reaction

NFU vice-president David Exwood said the union would consult with its members in the coming weeks, once it had examined the detail.

“We would like to see the future management of hedges take into account practical management aspects that work with farmed land, and those that use it,” he said.

“These include keeping field access points and rights-of-way routes clear and unobstructed from a health and safety viewpoint.”

CPRE, the countryside charity, welcomed the moves to improve hedgerow management and extend the network, “provided that new protective measures are introduced as quickly as possible”.

The consultation closes on 20 September 2023.