Hedgerow Management Regulations
As we enter March, we thought it would be helpful to remind you of the hedgerow management regulations and the responsibilities of farmers and land managers with hedgerows on their land.
The hedgerow management regulations strengthen the protection of hedgerows and came into force on 23 May 2024. The regulations protect all hedgerows on or next to agricultural land in England.
Here’s a reminder of the rules in those regulations.
To protect active bird nests during this time, there is a hedgerow cutting and trimming ban from 1 March to 31 August (inclusive).
Image
Image
To prevent harm to the structure and health of the hedgerow, the regulations require a 2-metre buffer strip, measured from the centre of a hedgerow, where a green cover must be established and maintained.
No cultivation or use of pesticides or fertiliser on land within 2 metres of the centre of a hedgerow
The rules only cover hedgerows on, or next to, agricultural land. This could include hedgerows which are on agricultural land which border other areas such as golf courses and village halls.
The cutting and trimming rules also apply to hedgerows bordering allotments.
The cutting and trimming rules do not apply to hedgerows within the area of land around a domestic dwelling or to hedgerows that mark the boundary of the dwelling.
Image
The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) is the regulator for these rules and it has produced a statutory guidance document which sets out its regulatory approach.
They believe that prevention is better than cure and have established a regulatory oversight panel to make sure they use the sanctions consistently.
Remember, this is not cross compliance, which ended in England in 2023, and enforcement is not linked to any rural payments. The regulations could apply to any person responsible for the hedgerow or any person carrying out works on it, or the adjacent buffer strips.
However, farmers, landowners and contractors are the largest groups affected by these regulations.
You can also view the RPA’s Hedgerow Management Rules leaflet here.
Specifically, the cutting and trimming rules apply to the person who actually carries out the cutting and trimming. This means they apply to contractors who carry out such cutting and trimming. They can also apply to any person who causes or permits another person to cut or trim.
The buffer strip rules apply to the person responsible for the hedgerow.
The RPA carries out visits primarily following possible breaches that are brought to its attention.
Image
In 2025, most referrals RPA received involved cutting and trimming of roadside hedgerows.
Each referral is triaged by RPA to minimise the burden on the industry and to make sure it carries out visits in only those cases where there is a genuine possibility of a breach of the rules.
For example, it will consider if the cutting or trimming falls within the scope of the exemption from the rules for road safety purposes.
You can find full details of the rules, when exemptions apply and what you need to do on GOV.UK.
Hedgerow management rules: cutting and trimming - GOV.UK
Hedgerow management rules: buffer strips - GOV.UK