While the Landscape Partnership Scheme celebrates hedgerows with wildlife surveys, organises hedge maintenance courses and has been giving substantial grants for planting traditional mixed hedgerows people are generally shocked to learn not only that ancient farm hedges have been recently illegally grubbed up on the Quantocks but also that nothing is done about it. Somerset Council have proved determined to sit on their hands and look the other way when they have been presented with clear evidence of hedges gone missing in recent years.
Friends of the Quantocks spent many months quietly trying to get Somerset Council who are the designated Prosecuting Authority under the Hedgerow Regulations to act. Eventually we went to the press and after articles appeared in the County Gazette and The Leveller they hurriedly declared they would review the file. Weeks later they have returned to their position of inaction.
It is a setback and frustrating but as a Charity whose foundational purpose is to protect the landscape on behalf of the public we can hardly walk away when landscape features have been bulldozed with impunity. The story is far from over. In the meantime if you see your local Councillor do please share your concerns.