The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has this week launched a new consultation on the best ways we can protect our hedgerows.

As the EU’s land-based subsidies are replaced with new farming schemes, there is also a move away from cross compliance regulation.  In its new consultation, DEFRA says it’s aiming to improve the way farm regulation works to make it fairer, clearer, and more proportionate and effective, whilst working in partnership with industry to deliver the Government’s environmental targets.

As ‘important ecological building blocks across our landscapes’, hedgerows provide habitat, act as wildlife corridors, slow soil erosion and water run-off, support crop pollinators and sequester carbon.  As such, farmers are not allowed to remove important hedgerows.  They must also maintain a buffer strip along their hedgerows and must not cut or trim hedgerows during bird nesting and rearing season.

The consultation is seeking views on the best way to maintain and improve existing protections, as well as how the department should approach enforcement.  Further information about the consultation can be found on DEFRA’s website here, including details of how you can submit your response.