This is news to me!

[welwell]

Perhaps I missed this along the lines somewhere, but a client (farmer) of mine sent this through to me yesterday, we have a load of overgrown conifers to reduce (fairly heavily) along 3 sides of his orchard. Could this apply to conis?

 

 

GAEC 7A - Hedges

Cutting, trimming and removal

You must not cut or trim a hedgerow between 1 March and 31 August (inclusive) unless:

• the hedgerow overhangs a highway, road or footpath over which there is a public or private

right of way and the overhanging hedgerow obstructs the passage of, or is a danger to,

vehicles, pedestrians or horse riders

• the hedgerow is dead, diseased, damaged or insecurely rooted and because of its condition,

it or part of it, is likely to cause danger by falling on to a highway, road or footpath; or

obstructs the view of drivers or the light from a public lamp

• it is to carry out hedge-laying or coppicing during the period 1 March to 30 April (inclusive)

• it is to trim a newly laid hedgerow by hand, within 6 months of it being laid

• you have received written permission from the Secretary of State for the Environment to cut

or trim during the month of August for the purposes of sowing oil seed rape or temporary

grassland during the same August.

 

GAEC 7A - Hedges

cut or trim a tree on your farm between 1 March and 31 August (inclusive) each year, except

where the tree:

• overhangs a highway, or any other road or footpath, endangering or obstructing

vehicles, pedestrians or horse-riders

• obstructs or interferes with the view of drivers of vehicles or the light from a public

lamp

• is dead, diseased, damaged or insecurely rooted, and is a risk to human safety;

• is in an orchard, or

• the Secretary of State has given written permission to do so in order to enhance

the environment, improve public or agricultural access, or for reasons relating to

livestock or crop production.

 

 

I know some is relevant and some isn't

 

[V6 WRA]

Think is to do with the subsidy payments and compliance with their rules specifically for farms, so would probably apply to conifers as well as I believe is for protection of birds/ wildlife etc, rather than the trees : hedges themselves. Has been in force for quite a few years, although they have just changed the dates

[welwell]

Think is to do with the subsidy payments and compliance with their rules specifically for farms, so would probably apply to conifers as well as I believe is for protection of birds/ wildlife etc, rather than the trees : hedges themselves. Has been in force for quite a few years, although they have just changed the dates

 

I thought it was to do with wildlife etc, but "no pruning at all??"

[Bren.]

He must be in a stewardship scheme.

These are the rules if he wants to keep his payments.

Better get yer skates on fella.

[Arctostaphylos uva-ursi]

Does not seem unreasonable. Does it really?

[Charlieh]

Those are the new rules that apply to anyone claiming basic payment scheme (single farm payment) if the land is farmland then yes this applies, not trimming of farm hedges or trees as per the GAEC criteria

[Bren.]

So it's cross compliance then.

[Charlieh]

yep applies to all farmland that a subsidy is claimed on.

 

GAEC is Good Agricultural and Ecological Condition. which is essentially the cross compliance documents

[wisecobandit]

I don't think its just a subsidy thing. It was brought in mainly to protect nesting birds etc not just on subsidy land although most are claiming in one way or another.

[csservices]

It al9so affects builders with regard to site clearances, not sure if its a legal thing or if its juat because they are trying to show more enviromental conciousness.