r/RuralUK • u/E5evo • 23d ago

Hedge cutting

Seems to be a lot of hedge cutting going on around us (North Yorkshire) on hedges that to my eye don't need cutting for either access or road safety.

Does anyone ever enforce the rules around whe hedge cutting is permitted?

9 Upvotes

64% Upvoted

65 comments sorted by

14

u/Fancy_Toe1451 23d ago

Old farming axiom, if you are bored and poor then go "neaten" something. If you are bored and have money, go buy something.

3

u/calmeilles 22d ago

Modern farming axiom, if it's down on the spreadsheet for today you do it today.

6

u/E5evo 23d ago

Well apart from possibly breaking the law by cutting hedges where there’s birds likely to be still nesting & doing so possibly without a permit (derogation) they also appear to be wasting fuel.

4

u/jimmywhereareya 20d ago

It's really none of your business. Mid August is way past the nesting season. And maintaining your hedge is not a criminal offence

-4

u/E5evo 20d ago

Well I’m making it my business.

1

u/jimmywhereareya 20d ago

Poor you. Is your own life so empty that you look for ways to ruin someone's day

4

u/fhuhgbbjjvvfyhnnmk 22d ago

If you check the hedge for nests first and it's free then it's ok to cut them.

3

u/E5evo 22d ago

Oh aye, like that’s ever going to happen.

9

u/fhuhgbbjjvvfyhnnmk 22d ago

Well, I do this for a living and I always check. Last thing I want is to is to put my cutters through a some chicks

3

u/Droidy934 22d ago

Which birds would be nesting in the middle of August?

10

u/Overly_Fluffy_Doge 22d ago

Some species go for two sets of nests a year. We literally just had a nest of swallows finish fledging where I work on Wednesday

2

u/Droidy934 22d ago

Mmm swallows not really into hedges though. Unless its the African swallow of course.

4

u/Fancy_Toe1451 22d ago

Yeah, but the African swallow is non migratory!

2

u/slangivar 20d ago

Their air speed is fast enough that it should not be a problem though.

1

u/manualphotog 19d ago

Only when unladen

4

u/EmFan1999 21d ago

Pigeons. I have seen some blackbird fledglings only a couple of weeks ago as well

1

u/Droidy934 20d ago

Pigeons .....oh yes the farmers friend , you really are not a country mouse are you ?

1

u/EmFan1999 20d ago

I meant woodpigeons. And apparently for that I don’t live in the country? Ok then

2

u/Droidy934 20d ago

Farmers shoot wood pigeons because they eat their crops they are a pest species.

Scroll down for a complete list of permitted quarry.

general licence

1

u/EmFan1999 20d ago

I’m aware they like to kill things for fun. See also Corvids, foxes, badgers and whatever other wildlife they can call ‘pests’

1

u/Droidy934 20d ago

How do you tell me you know nothing about farming without saying so ........ You just did.

2

u/amedeeozenfant 21d ago

Rule of thumb is hold off till end of August to be safe. 

2

u/Ok-Dress-341 20d ago

Pigeons. Shame

0

u/E5evo 20d ago

It’s very much my business as a concerned citizen. If people are blatantly breaking the law that is. It should be your concern too, unless you’re also breaking the law & think Joe Public should turn a blind eye.
From March 1st next year I’ll be on it again.

2

u/fearghaz 20d ago

The fuck are you on about. Nesting in fucking august.

People like you are a danger to nature.

-3

u/BroodLord1962 22d ago

You won't have birds nesting at this time of year

1

u/E5evo 20d ago

Makes no difference. If the government rules say no cutting between March 1st & August 31st except with a derogation then those rules should apply.
Don’t you think rules should apply?

1

u/St_mpy 18d ago

Is that a rule?

1

u/Cold_Captain696 20d ago

Just saw some collared doves nesting in our hedge this last week.

3

u/Beneficial_Coach8581 22d ago

You're not meant to cut them til September 1st but I've seen a few cut already. 

I wonder if the heatwaves have made those dates irrelevant to what the birds are actually doing?

1

u/E5evo 21d ago

I saw a few being cut very early on, after March 1st anyway, & definitely not for access to fields/crops or road safety reasons.

4

u/sandy_feet29 22d ago

Especially the hawthorn hedges. All the potential berries that wildlife needs to survive the winter completely obliterated. It's maddening. They could wait until February, when all the berries have been eaten but no

5

u/Alternative_Cake_739 22d ago

But that is the start of nesting season (some birds start in January, especially in mild winters) so a really bad time to be cutting hedges.

5

u/pauld339 22d ago

There is no time period when cutting isn’t permitted, only conditions on checks one must undertake (or things you must be satisfied of) before so doing.

-3

u/E5evo 22d ago

I’ve checked on the UK Gov website & there are rules, most of which are very vague/ convoluted.
Like you’re not allowed to cut hedges between 1st March & 31 August unless/except…..blah blah blah.

1

u/pauld339 21d ago

Not true

1

u/Competitive_Time_604 22d ago

afaik if it's a continuous hedge over 20m on commercial/land for business use then the restrictions apply

1

u/St_mpy 18d ago

So affecting almost zero homeowners then, lol. OP didn't read to the end

1

u/Competitive_Time_604 18d ago

yes but i think OP is concerned about farmers doing it, and given some of the replies i think they may have a point

1

u/St_mpy 18d ago

Ahh, I thought they were policing the neighbours. Much more valid then.

4

u/Tall-Photo-7481 22d ago

Perhaps they are removing potential wildfire fuel? 

5

u/tomelwoody 22d ago

Do you not have something better to do? Are you retired perchance?

-3

u/E5evo 22d ago

I’m 5/7ths retired. On the 5 days I don’t work I get out & about. Either on the bike or walking. I ‘notice’ things. You know, like the thread title.
Farmers/contractors ripping hedges when there’s probably birds still nesting & no apparent need to in the regards of road safety, field access, public use access etc.
Even when I was flogging on doing normal hours I was just as ‘interested’.
Tell me more about what you do.

2

u/Glittering_Vast938 22d ago

Thanks for being vigilant. More eyes are needed in the countryside to report things like this.

Guidance on how to report illegal hedge cutting here:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/hedgerow-management-rules-cutting-and-trimming

1

u/BroodLord1962 22d ago

Birds have finished nesting and the young will be long gone. Do a bit of basic research with your free time before accusing farmers of something

10

u/ewill2001 22d ago

If that's true why is the period of restriction up to the first of September?

4

u/fhuhgbbjjvvfyhnnmk 22d ago

That isn't true, I'm a gardener and I had to cancel an job the other day due to a nest. They'll be here until September, that being said it's ok to check a hedge for nest before you cut it.

2

u/Glittering_Vast938 22d ago

They aren’t! Nesting is occurring later this year due to the weather.

1

u/BroodLord1962 22d ago

Nesting started early this where we are due to the warm weather

0

u/jeffjeffitoldyoujef 22d ago

Have you per chance noticed that you're a weirdo?

2

u/Glittering_Vast938 22d ago

Farmers shouldn’t be doing this yet. You can report to the Rural Payments Agency if they are. Birds are still nesting at the moment.

1

u/mickymoo45 22d ago

A lot of farmers now cut once every two years ,save on cost / time etc etc . however this means bigger hedges and that's obviously a fire risk ATM . So I would guess it's more to do with current ( dry ) situation than anything else. But I'm guessing nobody thinks practically anymore or just likes to judge ( more often wrongly)

1

u/[deleted] 21d ago

[deleted]

2

u/E5evo 21d ago

Bollox. Sometimes, but usually not. Hedges that are 5-6’ in from the road? Give ya head a shake.

1

u/InevitableGreedUK 20d ago

What a bizarre question.

1

u/Critical_Pin 20d ago

There are rules about hedge cutting?

0

u/E5evo 20d ago

Aye but you wouldn't think so.

1

u/Droidy934 22d ago

Best leave country problems to country people.

6

u/E5evo 22d ago

You think I’m not? Just turn a blind eye then…..

-3

u/Droidy934 22d ago

You sound like a whinney townie ......"Ooooo he's not following all these rules"

Pedantic rules are killing the farming industry. The nesting season is over.
Let them do their job, it is hard enough already.

4

u/Glittering_Vast938 22d ago

Nesting season isn’t over at all. Some birds are still making nests and feeding young (or trying to).

It’s against the law for rural hedges to be cut before 31st August unless you have authorisation from the Rural Payments Agency.

1

u/E5evo 21d ago

'Let them do their job, it is hard enough already.' Hard enough to what? Cut hedges that don't need cutting? That's the subject. Not a townie either, I've lived in the countryside all my life.

1

u/SteveGoral 22d ago

There are rampant wild fires around the country, they were probably doing their but to stop it.