Conservation & Ecology
“
If hedge removal is approved, the golf club must abide by the methods and
operations specified in the hedgerow removal notices
archaeological value, rendering the complete removal of certain hedges illegal without permission from the Local Planning Authority (LPA).
Operations such as coppicing to
encourage regrowth, removing dead/diseased trees and obtaining emergency access are exempt. If you are planning on removing an
‘important’ hedge, the LPA will assess it against a list of criteria set out in the regulations. Hedgerows that meet any one of the criteria will not be granted removal. If an important hedgerow is removed without consent, the LPA can issue a hedgerow replacement notice, requiring the golf club to replant a hedge at their own expense. If carrying out works on or around a hedgerow on the golf course, certain precautions must be taken, taking care to not destroy any part of the hedge during maintenance. Exempt hedges: The Regulations only
can lead to hedgerows changing into lines of trees and the development of gaps. Using incorrect machinery, as well as cutting too often and at the wrong times, can also lead to poor hedgerow structure. The use of fertilisers, herbicides and
pesticides right up to the base of hedgerows can lead to nutrient enrichment and a decline in species diversity. Hedges have been removed for many reasons, including for agricultural and development purposes, for power lines and road re-alignment and the construction of sight lines. Lack of traditional hedgerow management,
such as coppicing or laying, has led to hedges growing tall or becoming gappy, though this trend is now being reversed through new incentives for positive management. So, what can you do to enhance these
important wildlife areas, where can you get advice on their management, and what should you do to keep within the law? The Hedgerow Regulations 1997 is
legislation designed to protect ‘countryside hedgerows’ of a certain age and length that have significant historical, ecological or
120 I PC AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016
apply to ‘countryside hedges’ of a certain age and length and only cover the removal of a hedge and not routine hedge management operations. Exempt hedgerows include: those defined
as ‘garden hedges’, those less than thirty years old or less than 20m in length that do not have adjoining hedges at either end. Bear in mind, however, that gaps of less than 20m in a line of hedge are counted as contributing to the overall length of a hedge and that adjoining hedges at either end of a hedge do not need to be physically joined.
Exempt operations include:
- coppicing a hedge to ground level to encourage re-growth and removing dead, dying or diseased trees
- opening a gap in a hedge as a replacement for an existing gap - the original gap must be replanted within eight months of the opening of the new gap
- to obtain temporary access to land to give assistance in an emergency
- to obtain access to land where other
means of access is not available or only available at disproportionate cost
Important hedges
If a hedgerow is over 20m in length and at least thirty years old, the golf club will need to contact their Local Planning Authority for advice and will generally need to serve a Hedgerow Removal Notice. There is no fee for submitting a hedgerow removal notice. The LPA will assess the hedge against
criteria listed in the Hedgerow Regulations which consider the historical, ecological and archaeological value of the hedge. If the hedge meets at least one of the criteria in the Regulations then it is considered ‘important’. In this case, the LPA will issue a hedgerow retention notice preventing the golf club removing the hedge. The main ecological criteria for important hedges include:
- seven or more woody species in a 30m length of hedge (majority of England and Wales) or
- six or more woody species in a 30m length of hedge (northern England only)
- the presence of any plant, bird or animal species listed under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1991
- the presence of any plant, animal or bird species listed as a ‘declining breeder’, or ‘vulnerable, ‘rare, ‘endangered’ or ‘extinct’ in the relevant British Red Data Books
Hedgerow replacement notice
If a hedgerow meeting any of the above criteria is removed without consent, the LPA can issue a hedgerow replacement notice, requiring the golf club to replant a hedge at their own expense. If the club do not replant the hedge, the LPA has the power to enter the golf club premises, replant the hedge and reclaim expenses from the golf club. Hedges replanted under a hedgerow replacement notice are automatically considered ‘important’ under the Hedgerow Regulations for thirty years after planting and cannot be legally removed.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156