People who don’t cut back hedgerows could face prosecution

LANDOWNERS and homeowners who do not cut back hedgerows that are encroaching on public roads and footpaths and who have received an official warning from the council will be prosecuted.

At September’s meeting of Bagenalstown Municipal District, cathaoirleach Micheal Doran raised the issue of people who had been issued with warnings by the council that they need to cut their hedgerows back and who were not complying. He said members were asked by council officials two years ago to draw up a list of problem hedgerows.

Orla Barrett, senior engineer at Carlow Co Council, said that the council had issued 250 cutting notices last year.

In response, the cathaoirleach said that he was concerned about a small but persistent group who made certain roads difficult to drive and walk down.

“Residents, green waste people and bus drivers are sick to death of getting onto us,” he said. “Unless we take action on the very small number of people, I don’t think the public will have much faith in us that we will be able to do anything.” 

Ms Barrett responded by saying that they had recently placed an advert in The Nationalist and put up a warning on social media to remind people that it was ‘hedgerow season’ and that people could be prosecuted for not cutting theirs. It also said that the council did bring a number of private cases to court this year over this matter.

“We will happily follow that up because, generally speaking, we find they tend to cut the hedges on the steps of the court before we have to go that far,” Ms Barrett said.