Countryside hedgerows are important in providing a habitat to wildlife. They contribute to the character of the natural landscape across the countryside including historical connections to towns and villages. Countryside hedgerows are protected under the Hedgerow Regulation 1997.
For guidance on protected hedgerows, please visit the GOV.uk website.
Apply for permission to remove a hedgerow
To remove a protected hedgerow please submit a Hedgerow Removal Notice (HRN) via the Planning Portal. You will need the hedgerow's:
- age
- type
- location
- reason it needs removing
For further details, see the guidance on completing a hedgerow removal notice.
If you want to remove a tree within a hedgerow, please check to see if the tree is within a conservation area or protected through a tree preservation order.
If you want to remove a hedgerow as part of a development, you should list compensation proposals for the loss of the hedgerow with the planning application.
Next steps
Once a notice has been served, we have 6 weeks to decide if a hedgerow is important and should stay.
There's a strong presumption that important hedgerows will be protected. To be important the hedgerow must be at least 30 years old and meet at least one of 8 criteria specified in the regulations.
Permission to remove a hedgerow lasts for 2 years from the date of our written permission, or from the end of the 6-week period.
A hedgerow retention notice is permanent, but you can submit a new hedgerow removal notice if circumstances change.
Removing a protected hedgerow without permission
Hedgerow removal without permission is a criminal offence and you could face a fine. You could also be required to replant the hedge and it will then be automatically deemed as important for 30 years after being planted.
If you think that a protected hedgerow has been removed without permission, please report it using the form below.
Hedgerow removal advice
Ideally, you should cut a hedgerow in January or February. This is because wildlife will have the opportunity to take advantage of the nuts and berries produced in the autumn.
You should avoid cutting the hedgerow in the bird-breeding season from 1 March to 31 August. All wild birds, their young, their eggs and active nests are protected under law. It is an offence to damage a nest intentionally while it is in use or being built. Hedge cutting is highly likely to damage nests or cause them to be deserted.
Hedgerows in and around a property and high hedges
Hedges are not managed through the protected hedgerows act. Depending on the size of the hedgerow and its location it may have a level of protection if it is in a conservation area.
High hedge disputes are managed through our Compliance Department. Please report a complaint using the form below.
Other resources
- National Hedgelaying Society website – helps you to find an accredited hedge layer
- OPAL – gives a guide on common hedgerow plants and more
- The English Hedgerow Trust and Hedgelink – information on hedgerow management
- The Tree Council – information on fruitful hedgerows and foraging.