Hedgerow removal
Do I need permission to remove a hedgerow?
If the hedgerow is within or forms part of a dwelling's curtilage boundary, then you do not need to apply for permission. However the removal of other hedgerows may need permission. The links below provide more details on when permission is needed:
Useful links
- Hedgerow Regulations - Your Questions Answered (PDF)
- Hedgerow Regulations 1997: A guide to law and good practice (opens in new window)
- Defra: Farming and landscape features - hedgerows (opens in new window)
Or contact us
Please call us on 01539 724555 and ask for Marie Collinge, Environment and Heritage Administrator.
What is a Hedgerow Removal Notice?
The Hedgerow Regulations 1997 require that before the removal of certain hedgerows we - as the Local Planning Authority - must be notified with a Hedgerow Removal Notice.
Please complete the Application for Hedgerow Removal Notice Form (opens as a PDF in a new window) and return it to the address at the top of the form.
What happens next?
We will then consider whether the hedgerow is “important” by assessing the age, archaeological, wildlife, historical or landscape value of the hedge as defined in the 1997 regulations. We will then decide whether its loss would be acceptable.
If within 42 days of receiving a Hedgerow Removal Notice, we consider all or part of a hedgerow should be kept, we can issue a Hedgerow Retention Notice which prohibits the hedgerow’s removal.