England has lost more than 200,000 miles of hedgerow since 1947. Between 1947 and 1985, over 4,300 miles of dry stone walls were lost, with 96% of the remaining walls in need of restoration. This loss and neglect has badly damaged the beauty and biodiversity of our landscape. If you identify a problem with a hedge, please in the first instance contact the District Council.

Frogsnest Farm meadow, Bletchingdon: TVERC

News update

November 2008: The Wychwood Path-side Hedgerow Project

In October 2008 CPRE National Office received a legacy from a member requesting it to be used to promote hedgerow surveying. Branches were invited to submit plans for projects costing up to £5000. An application was made by Alan Spicer (Hon. Hedgerow Consultant for CPRE Oxfordshire) with help from the Wychwood Project. This body works with volunteers of all ages and is currently helping land-owners and farmers to survey and manage hedgerows in West Oxfordshire.

The Wychwood Path-side Hedgerow Project is intended to organise the surveying and recording of hedgerows adjacent to public rights-of-way within the parishes of the former Royal Forest of Wychwood. Volunteers from within CPRE and the Wychwood Project would be provided with training in hedgerow ecology, species identification, current management techniques and data recording.

In November 2008, CPRE Oxfordshire was awarded £4,950 and it was informed that its bid was the best one received.

Recording and Protecting Oxfordshire's Hedgerows

Several thousand records of hedgerow surveys undertaken throughout Oxfordshire by CPRE members and others have now been transferred to the database held by the Thames Valley Environmental Records Centre (TVERC) at the Oxfordshire Museum in Woodstock.

Many hedges can now be protected under The Hedgerow Regulations (DEFRA, 2002).  The District Councils are keen to have access to our records before applications for hedgerow removal are received.

The Oxfordshire Local Biodiversity Action Plans have been devised to protect species and wildlife habitats. Recently they have been amended to include all hedgerows, irrespective of their species richness. Thus all surveys of the county's hedgerows will be valuable for the protection of the numerous plants, birds, insects and mammals which depend on them for their food, nesting and shelter.

Many parishes in the county have few hedgerow surveys entered on the data bases.  These details are urgently required in order to promote the conservation and favourable management of this wildlife habitat and landscape component.

Alan Spicer, November 2008

Hedgerow survey packs are available from the CPRE Branch Office. To find out if your parish has done a hedgerow survey contact: Gavin Bird, Oxfordshire Records Centre Manager, email: gavin.bird@oxfordshire.gov.uk

To find out more about TVERC go to: www.tverc.org

Local Authority Contacts in Oxfordshire

To apply to remove a hedge or to report a hedge that you think has been damaged or removed without permission, contact:

• Oxford City
• South Oxfordshire
• Cherwell: 01295 252535
• West Oxfordshire: 01993 861000
• Vale of White Horse: 01235 520202

Further information

• Farming in 2005: Goodbye Crops, Hello Stewardship?
• CPRE national website advice on hedges and stone walling
• Defra advice on hedgerows and summary of regulations (includes survey handbook)
• Chilterns AONB advice for landowners on hedge management
• Chilterns AONB advice on hedge planting
• Lineside vegetation: limiting rail company damage
• Information on Trees