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Hedgerows

A girl picking berries from an overgrown hedgerow

CPRE has long campaigned for better protection of hedgerows.

Our campaigning contributed to the introduction of the Hedgerow Regulations 1997.

Hedgerows provide important habitats for wildlife. Flowering hedgerows are pollinator-friendly habitats and growing them next to fields can help with crop pollination. They also act as windbreaks and help control soil erosion.

In May 2019, the Committee on Climate Change in its report to the government recommended that hedgerows are extended by 40%.

The government has guidance on the protection and management of hedgerows. Unfortunately, planning permission for development overrides the protection of a hedgerow. Hedgerows standing in the way of built development are exempt from the Hedgerow Regulations.

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