Take action
Help lobby the Government to improve the Hedgerows Regulations
CPRE’s new report England’s hedgerows: don’t cut them out! provides the evidence to lobby the Government for strengthened hedgerow protection. If you would like to help, sign up for our monthly Campaigns Update e-newsletter which will tell you how you can help our hedgerow campaign.
Carry out a local hedgerow survey
If you have a general interest in local hedgerows, use the new Hedgerow Survey Handbook: A standard procedure for local surveys in the UK to carry out a detailed survey of local hedgerows to identify their number, condition, landscape and biodiversity value. This method allows hedgerows to be recorded in a consistent way and the results can be placed on a standard database and used to build up a national picture of local hedgerows. A PDF can be downloaded from the Defra website or hard copies can be ordered from Natural England on 0845 600 3078 or email: enquiries@naturalengland.org.uk.
Defra website: Hedgerow Survey Handbook: A standard procedure for local surveys in the UK
Make hedgerow survey results available to your local planning authority
Give your survey results, and the results of any other hedgerow surveys carried out in your area, to your local planning authority and county biological records centre. Ask the local authority in return to inform you of any application to remove hedgerows in your area.
Familiarise yourself with the current Hedgerows Regulations
If you are worried about the loss of local hedgerows, familiarise yourself with the current regulations in place to protect them.
Hedgerow Regulations FAQ’s (34K PDF)
Monitor planning applications
Removal of hedgerows is permitted if it is required to carry out a development for which planning permission has been granted. You could lobby your local planning authority to ensure that when it is considering whether to grant planning permission for any proposed new development, it seeks to set conditions on the developer which would safeguard existing hedgerows.
Join us or make a donation
Join CPRE and become a member of a dynamic network of 60,000 other people helping to protect our countryside.
Join us or make a donation
Get involved with a local CPRE branch or regional group
CPRE has 200 district groups, 43 branches and 9 regional groups across England – many of whom are working on this campaign.
Local and regional groups
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