laying hedges late into end of season

[hedgesparrow]

same advice i was given.

[Dorset Hedgelayer]

Have always gone till end of March. Just last year with the lateness of things went into early part of 2nd week in April load of willow on a small island , not even in bud.

 

As has been said, different parts of UK makes a difference,

even just down the rd & over the border from me in Devon you get up on top of moors big difference. Current job landowner has spoke to his ELS agent, so long as nothing in flower & no birds nesting ok till end of March. As much as I'd like to carry on, summer work takes over then. mid March & September cross over couple of days of each. I keep track of all locations & hedging job, this season will have covered 1910m

[john k]

Can someone point me to the legislation that specifically governs hedge laying dates please?

[Hogs Breath]

There is a code of practice that states no hedge cutting after the 1st of march and not before 31st August, I could be wrong tho. Probably on the defra site or similar

[Dorset Hedgelayer]

just found this

Hedgerow Trimming Dates - NFU Online

 

scroll down to the SPS section

 

further to what I said before, if you are working on the hedge already you will have seen if any birds are about /nesting, where as a tractor driver would come along cutter out away he go's.

Was told thats why "tractor" cutting ends end of Feb but hedgelaying could go on for another month

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

forgot the grass cutting so i need a light on my ride on. :biggrin:and i was going to bournmouth or weymouth for the summer as a lifeguard.

 

but when i applied said the speedos did not look good on me.

 

so its grass cutting.

 

 

Speedos for grass cutting??? A horrifying thought!

 

Reading the thread with a tangential interest in the date to stop laying debate. I wouldn't know anything about regional societies or associations rules or guidelines on the date to stop but would expect they'd be based on the premise that nesting birds etc shouldn't be disturbed (and timber reactions at different times of the year.) It would only be an offence under wildlife & countryside act if nests were intentionally disturbed:

 

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1981/69

 

I had to explain to a customer that there isn't a "closed season" for tree felling due to nesting birds but that a survey, and if clear, carry on.

[Pandion]

Interesting chat this. I certainly pack in "rural or agricultural" hedgelaying at the end of March as there is not much leaf about. This year I have two back garden hedges that I am considering doing in April. Not at all rural, and I figure gardeners et al crack on throughout the year trimming, felling, clearing hedges etc so should I do a bit (40 m) of careful and responsible laying of knackered old privet etc out of season? I could say that tree surgeons and the like carry on seemingly regardless year round, but I wouldn't, at least not on this site! Any further thoughts? (From memory, there is something in the hedge regs about location or setting?). Cheers.

[Robbie]

Natural England website has a bit on it try this link. http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/Images/hedges-law_tcm6-30966.pdf

hope it works

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

Natural England website has a bit on it try this link. http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/Images/hedges-law_tcm6-30966.pdf

hope it works

 

 

Link works Robbie. Good link, if I understand it correctly, it's grant funding for farms that dictates no laying between 1 Mar - 31 Jul and the countryside wildlife act that requires no "intentional" disturbance of nesting feathered friends. So domestic or non stewardship subsidised farms (otherwise known as hens teeth) would be ok.

[john k]

Thanks. So subject to CROW compliance and meeting any contract conditions, there is no law that actually dictates when you may or may not do hedge laying. Or tree felling for that matter.