COUNCILLOR SLAMS HEDGEROW CULL
Heather Kidd, Shropshire Councillor for Chirbury and Worthen Division, has condemned a planning application to remove 7 miles of hedgerow in the Chirbury area.
Heather said “In this day and age the wholesale destruction of our traditional landscape is wholly unacceptable. Not only would this measure change the look of our countryside for ever but it would destroy a key habitat for birdlife and rare mammals such as the common dormouse. Many are also ancient hedgerows that contain a wealth of plant life”
The application was put in by the new owner of land along the Chirbury to Churchstoke Road to remove over 11,000 meters of hedgerow. Hedgerows are an UK priority habitat.
Hedgerow removal notices are assessed against a set of specific criteria set out in the 1997 Hedgerows Regulations and unlike a planning application the council has practically no flexibility in when determining the notice, either the hedge meets with one or more of the criteria for importance* or it does not. A retention notice can be issued on hedgerows that meet the criteria but if it does not then the Local Authority has no power to stop the removal.
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