Hedge cutting rules as nesting season gets underway in UK

There is no cutting allowed from March 1, until August 31, with some limited exceptions.

The rules, to protect nesting birds, include leaving a two metre wide buffer strip, measured from the centre of the hedge, which must not be cultivated, sprayed or fertilised to protect the hedge.

There are some exemptions from the rules which allow for limited cutting.

They include if the hedgerow overhangs a highway, road or footpath over which there is a public or private right of way and if the overhanging hedgerow, obstructs the passage of users or is a danger. Also if the hedgerow obstructs the light from a public lamp or the hedgerow is dead, diseased, damaged or insecurely rooted.

The Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust said that double hedgerows, parallel hedges often separated by a track or road, have been shown to be particularly beneficial for yellowhammers, enhancing connectivity and habitat use.

They advise rotational, light-touch management, such as trimming one side one year and the other the next, which encourages dense growth without creating a uniform shape, enhancing protection from predators.