Hedgerow regulations now law – Farming

In a publish printed final month, I stated I’d let you understand when Parliament handed the brand new hedgerow rules. At this time, I’m doing simply that. 

The Administration of Hedgerows (England) Laws 2024 places the baseline for hedgerow administration practices into legislation, offering a constant strategy for his or her protection throughout the nation. 

This consists of:

a 2-metre buffer strip, measured from the centre of a hedgerow, the place a inexperienced cowl have to be established and maintained. Additionally, no cultivation or the appliance of pesticides or fertilisers ought to happen inside this buffer strip
a hedgerow slicing ban from 1 March to 31 August (inclusive). 

As I discussed in my final publish, these practices are topic to exceptions which you’ll find within the laws. They broadly mirror the earlier strategy beneath cross compliance. It will make it simple for farmers and others who’re conversant in the necessities.

You could find steerage on these guidelines and exemptions within the buffer strip steerage and the slicing and trimming steerage on GOV.UK. 

Many farmers and land managers are already going a lot additional than the foundations contained within the new rules.  

That is proven via the uptake of hedgerow administration actions via our environmental land administration schemes. Over 20,000 agreements contribute to the administration of over 60,000 miles of hedgerows in England. 

The new rules help these taking part in our schemes or receiving grants by offering a foundation of fine hedgerow administration that each one should comply with.  

Additional particulars on learn how to become involved in hedgerow administration provide may be discovered on the Funding for farmers, growers and land managers web page on GOV.UK and thru our devoted Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) website.

The rules shall be enforced by the Rural Funds Company (RPA), in a good and proportionate means and so they have been speaking to farmers and others about the perfect approaches. From day one, they may take an advice-led strategy, with stronger actions in solely the worst circumstances. 

The RPA will maintain a public session on learn how to implement and implement these protections sooner or later.

The rules are designed to offer an additional degree of reassurance that the identical administration strategy is used throughout the nation. 

Observe the Rural Funds Company weblog for the newest.