Dear Constituent,
Thank you for your email.
The following Written Answer sets out the Government’s position hedgerows, which you may find to be of interest:
‘Hedgerows are important ecological and environmental building blocks across our landscapes. As set out in the Environment Improvement Plan (EIP), Defra will support farmers to create or restore at least 30,000 miles of hedgerows by 2037, increasing to 45,000 miles of hedgerows by 2050.
On the 16 April the Government laid before Parliament new regulations that will place management practices for hedgerows on agricultural land into legislation. These practices include a cutting ban between 1 March and 31 August to protect nesting birds during this period, and a 2m buffer strip around a hedge where green cover must be established and maintained to protect the health of the hedge and the wildlife that use it.
The new regulations will be supplemented by actions being undertaken by many through Environmental Land Management schemes. There are now over 55,920 miles of hedgerows with one or both sides managed under 16,000 Countryside Stewardship and Sustainable Farm Incentive agreements.’
(Hedges and Ditches: Conservation, UIN 20889; Rebecca Pow MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; 12 April 2024)
Thank you again.
Yours sincerely,
Mel Stride MP
MP for Central Devon