Hedgerow removal notice
Important Information
The Hedgerow Regulations 1997 (external link) are designed to give protection to important hedgerows in England and Wales.
Any owner or tenant (or in certain cases a relevant utility operator) proposing to remove a hedgerow, or part of a hedgerow, which is covered by the regulations, must first notify the local planning authority by submitting a Hedgerow Removal Notice.
For the purposes of the regulations, remove is defined as uprooting or otherwise destroying a hedgerow.
The regulations apply to any hedgerow which:
- grows in, or adjacent to any common land, Local Nature Reserve, Site of Special Scientific Interest, or land used for agriculture, forestry of the breeding or keeping of horses, ponies of donkeys
- and has a continuous length of at least 20 metres, or if less than 20 metres, meets another hedgerow at each end.
In calculating the total length of a hedgerow, any gap resulting from a contravention of these regulations and any gap not exceeding 20 metres should be treated as part of the hedgerow. A hedgerow, which meets another hedgerow, is to be treated as ending at the point of intersection or junction.
The regulations do not apply to any hedgerow within the curtilage of, or marking a boundary of the curtilage of a dwelling house.
Applying for a hedgerow removal notice
If you want to remove a hedgerow you must apply to the council.
Please ensure that you submit the relevant plans and supporting information as outlined in the local and national requirements and make sure you submit one copy of the application form together with one copy of a plan at 1:2500 metric scale which shows clearly the location/length of the hedgerow to be removed and were any part of the hedgerow to be removed was planted less than 30 years ago indicate by X – X on the plan and provide evidence of the date of planting.
Register of hedgerow removal notices
Search and view the register of hedgerow removal notices
