Landowners urged to cut hedges

A call for landowners, farmers and householders to ensure their roadside hedges are cut and maintained so that motorists, cyclists and pedestrians can travel safely on rural roads, has been made by Cllr Joe Fox.
The hedgecutting season is open since 1st September.

“I have had numerous representations from road users concerning the overgrown state of hedgerows along some of our rural roads and the serious safety issues they are causing," said Cllr Fox.
“While I would like to compliment the many landowners who maintain their roadside hedges. There is a significant minority of landowners who fail to cut and maintain their roadside hedges for whatever reason. I am calling on them to be more proactive over the next few months to ensure that their roadside hedges are maintained properly which they are obliged to do under the law.”
Cllr Fox has also called for the Wildlife Act which governs the cutting of hedges to be amended so that roadside hedgerows exempt from the act, stating that they account for only 4 per cent of all hedgerows. “The closed season under the act runs from 1st March to the 1st September. I believe this is a serious health and safety issue that must be addressed.”