In previous newsletters we have described our struggle to convince Somerset Council that an official response was required to the unauthorised removal of hundreds of metres of hedgerow within the Quantock Hills “protected” area. It seemed clear to us that previous unchallenged removal of hedgerows encouraged the complete destruction of 300m of ancient hedgerow, along with its bank and ditch, and that some deterrent was required.
At first, some officers were sympathetic but it soon became clear that the Council had no appetite to spend resources on hedgerow protection and last year, after a major incident near Donyatt, a County Enforcement Officer told the Parish Council that “we need to focus our time and resources on more serious breaches of planning control.”
Enforcing a breach of planning control is optional but the officer was wrong. Friends of the Quantocks has received legal advice that unauthorised hedgerow removal is NOT a breach of planning control, it is a criminal offence under the Hedgerow Regulations 1997 which is (supposed to be) enforced by the Local Planning Authority. This has now been confirmed by Cllr Mike Rigby who wrote “this is potentially a criminal offence and would need to be investigated.” Friends of the Quantocks recognises the financial and resourcing problems facing Somerset Council but if this continues to be a factor in deciding whether to act in cases of rural crime, we feel that it should say so.
Recognising that this is a matter of law and not planning control is a step forward but in practice investigations can be tailored to what you want to find out! In the case of the lost Quantock hedgerows the Council’s “investigation” was diligent only in avoiding contact with anyone who could have confirmed the existence of the hedgerow and in undervaluing the ample evidence provided by FotQ. No wonder officers did not take up our offers of a meeting.
There are other positives. We are confident that the trouble we have created has acted as a deterrent and saved other hedgerows that may have been threatened. Also, our research has discovered that across England the 1997 law works well and hedgerow loss on agricultural land is uncommon. We are not sure whether that should make us feel better!
Postscript: If you use what3words and want to find the lost hedge, get the aerial photo view and you’ll find it between “natively.agency.messing” and “business.singles.negotiators”! And the ghost of the hedgerow can be seen on the latest Google Earth image as a cropmark as if mocking those who denied its existence.
Please note: Neither of these photos were taken near the hedge mentioned in this article.
~ ~ ~
You can help us continue the fight to protect all aspects of the Quantocks landscape by becoming a Friend – Join here.