Selaine Saxby, MP for North Devon led a debate in Westminster Hall on the ‘Legal Protection for Hedgerows,’ whilst emphasising how farmers are both custodians and champions of rural land.
Hedgerows are key to boosting productivity and better biodiversity for farmers across the country. Selaine outlined how the Government has made many welcome steps to the improvement of hedgerow protection. In January 2023, the Government announced a target to ‘create or restore 30,000 miles of hedgerows by 2037, and 45,000 miles of hedgerows by 2050’ under the refreshed 25 Year Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP). This target will result in 360,000 miles of English hedgerows—10% above the 1984 peak.
In the debate, Selaine outlined a few observations for the Minister going forward such as no cutting period and introducing a landscape criterion to the Regulations to give local authorities more discretion to protect hedgerows that are important to local landscape character. Most pressingly, Selaine asked for the response from Defra’s consultation on ‘Protecting hedgerows’ last June to be published. As the delayed government response to this consultation risks a regulatory gap in the protection of hedgerows under basic hedgerow management standards.
As a result, the Minister committed to new legislation on protecting hedgerows in due course when parliamentary time allows.
The debate over the Legal Protection for Hedgerows and how this affects farmers follows on from the upgrade to post Brexit farming schemes and Selaine’s recent intervention in the Petition Debate on the Groceries Supply Code, with 550 residents in North Devon signing the petition.
During the Groceries Supply Code Debate, Selaine underpinned the vital role farmers play in the green transition and, additionally, supermarkets' duty in ensuring farmers are getting a fair and just price for their produce.
Selaine Saxby, MP for North Devon said:
“85 MPs and peers are CPRE Hedgerow Heroes, and I am proudly one of them. I welcome the commitments made by the Government on their steps to improving hedgerow protection and more broadly, how this is integral to protecting rural land and the plants within it. It was great to lead this debate and emphasise my support for farmers in North Devon and across the country, following the recent new farming schemes that have been put into effect by this Government. I am keen to work further with the Minister of Nature, Rebecca Pow and thank her for her positive response.
“Farmers are integral to rural communities like mine in North Devon. They help to stitch them together, create jobs and produce high quality food, all whilst caring for our much loved countryside. Considering this, it is important hedgerows are protected, not just for the upkeep of our environment, but to ensure farmers can also increase their productivity.
“I thank all of my colleagues that took part in this debate, especially the Member for Copeland for her kind words and the Minister, who I know is actively engaged in this issue.”
Minister for Nature, Rebecca Pow said in the debate:
“We recognise the importance of the legal protections in place to prevent any of the concerns that I outlined. We do not want any of those things to happen. Those concerns come from both stakeholders and farmers. I want to make it very clear that, as a result, we will seek to regulate to maintain hedgerow protections as a matter of priority, when parliamentary time allows.
“That is the rabbit that I am pulling out of the hat today. I hope that will be welcome news, because I think we all agree that this is a priority. We want to make sure that regulation is fair and proportionate to farmers. That has been very clear in all our consultations. We want to get the support of farmers, and we want them to comply with the law where they have to; but we want to work with them, not against them.”
ENDS
For more information please contact: Selaine Saxby, [email protected] 01271 327990.
NOTES TO EDITORS
Full speech: https://www.selainesaxby.org.uk/legal-protection-hedgerows-24th-january-2024
Photo with Minister for Nature, Rebecca Pow in Westminster– 24th October 2023
