PLEASE cut back your hedges / vegetation

It is once again that time of year when nesting season has ended and many hedges around the village are becoming an increasing safety concern and a danger on our roads and pavements, and so we are urging you all to see if the hedge or overhanging vegetation next to your property needs cutting back now.

This is a problem that obscures road users’ views of potential dangers, causes an obstruction and effects all road users –
drivers, cyclists, horse riders and walkers –hedge 1
as well as school buses and commercial vehicles that are forced to collide with
overgrown foliage and low hanging branches.

The owner or occupier of a property has a legal responsibility (Highways Act 1980) to ensure that the ‘public highway’ (defined by law as consisting of any verge, footway, carriageway, bridleway or footpath) is not obstructed by vegetation from their property. Cutting back should be done to a minimum width from the highway of 1.2m (or to your boundary which is the central growth line) and to a height of 5.2m (roads) or 2.5m (verge/path).

Please cut back overhanging vegetation now rather than wait for an official reminder! Please also check the condition of your trees and hedges and seek professional arboricultural advice if required.