Consultation seeks farmers’ inputs on protecting essential hedgerow habitats

Hedgerows bring a wealth of environmental benefits, acting as wildlife corridors to help halt species decline, slowing soil erosion and water run-off, supporting crop pollinators for food production, and taking carbon out of the atmosphere.

A consultation launched yesterday seeks views on how the government can ensure hedgerows continue to get the right level of protection as we move away from cross-compliance – the rules farmers have to comply with to receive direct payments under the CAP – and put in place new legislation protecting the interests of English farmers.

The new legislation will benefit from the increased flexibility to improve how farm regulations work so they are clearer, more proportionate and effective for farmers.

This well be key to the government meeting its targets set out in the Environmental Improvement Plan to support farmers to create or restore 30,000 miles of hedgerows by 2037 and 45,000 miles of hedgerows by 2050, returning hedgerow lengths in England to 10% above the 1984 peak (360,000 miles).

The consultation will run until 20^th September and aims to ascertain the best way to maintain and improve existing protections, as well as on the government’s approach to enforcement. These include farmers maintaining a buffer strip alongside their hedgerows, and not cutting or trimming hedgerows during bird nesting and rearing season.

Defra environment secretary Thérèse Coffey commented: “Hedgerows are a landmark of the British countryside, providing shelter and food for native species, taking carbon out of the atmosphere and reducing flooding.

“We are already enhancing hedgerows through our new farming schemes, and the consultation launched today will provide further legislative backing to make sure our hedgerows are better managed and protected in the future.”

The announcement builds on the launch of the 2023 Sustainable Farming Incentive earlier this month which includes new actions paying farmers to assess the condition of hedgerows and manage them in a way that will work for wildlife and improve biodiversity.

Farmers and land managers are also being supported to maintain and restore hedgerows through Countryside Stewardship. There are currently nearly 50,000 miles of hedgerows with one, or both sides managed under Countryside or Environmental Stewardship options, with 8,000 miles of hedgerow creation or restoration supported through Countryside Stewardship capital grants.

The consultation can be accessed from the government website here: https://consult.defra.gov.uk/legal-standards/consultation-on-protecting-hedgerows/