New regulations on hedge management come into force

New hedgerow management legislation has come into force and many of the exceptions offered under cross compliance remain in place.

Defra supports a continuation of two-metre buffer strips and a no-cut period, reduced red tape and a cooperative approach to enforcement and sanctions.

The department said more than 95% of respondents to a consultation launched last year supported plans to maintain a no-cutting and buffer zone period for hedges.

The regulations include a two-meter buffer from the center of hedgerows, a ban on cultivation and the use of pesticides or fertilizers in most cases, and a no-cutting period from March 1 to August 31 to protect nesting birds.

The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) will continue to act as the regulator, with the default priority being to provide advice and guidance to help farmers comply with the regulations.

Consultations on new civil and criminal sanctions, which will enable South Africa to take appropriate and proportionate action against those causing serious or repeated harm, will take place “in due course”.

The key change is a new “streamlined notification process” for farmers needing exemption from hedge trimming in August when sowing rapeseed or temporary grass, replacing the previous two-week grace period.

Farmers will be required to notify the RPA in writing of their intention to sow specific fields before planting.

In response to the new regulations, NFU vice-president Rachel Hallos said it was “encouraging” that the government had “listened to farmers”.

“Hedgerows are an important part of our agricultural heritage and farmers take pride in managing hundreds of thousands of kilometers of them in various forms and shapes, supporting biodiversity,” she said.

“Balancing the need to continue to protect hedgerows while producing food on farms is crucial to our food security.

“These new regulations will help proactively manage hedgerows in our farming environment, enabling timely management through hedge establishment, coppicing, the care and protection of newly established hedgerows and the maintenance of earthworks where hedgerows are located.”

Ms Hallow added that the NFU would continue to work to ensure “that simpler, fairer and more proportionate ways of enforcing this new legislation work for everyone”.