Hedgerow Management Regulations 2024: the seasonal cutting ban and buffer strips, explained for the Wingham round.
New rules in force since May 2024 put a statutory ban on cutting agricultural hedgerows between 1 March and 31 August, and require a green-cover buffer strip reaching 2 metres from the centre of any hedgerow on agricultural land (fields of 2 hectares or less are exempt). Five questions to work out whether and how they apply to your land on the CT3 round.
Why a new regulation, and why now?
Before May 2024, the main protection for hedgerow birds in England was Section 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981: it is an offence to damage or destroy an active wild bird's nest while it is in use or being built. The Act sets no calendar dates: the March to August window that is widely used is guidance, not a statutory ban. The Management of Hedgerows (England) Regulations 2024 put a fixed statutory date range on the cutting restriction specifically for agricultural land, alongside a new requirement to maintain buffer strips. The regulations apply in England only, came into force on 23 May 2024, and are enforced by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) for the Secretary of State.
They sit alongside, and are separate from, the Hedgerow Regulations 1997, which govern the removal of countryside hedgerows (a different issue entirely), and from the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 nest protections, which continue to apply everywhere regardless of land type.
Bird-nesting season: still in force on all land
Section 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 makes it an offence to intentionally or recklessly damage or destroy a wild bird's nest while it is in use or being built, regardless of land type. The Act itself sets no dates; 1 March to 31 August is the accepted guidance window. The 2024 regulations apply the same date range as a hard statutory rule to qualifying agricultural hedgerows, but the WCA nest protection continues to apply to all hedges, whether residential garden or agricultural, on any date where an active nest is present. On garden and village hedges throughout CT3, from Wingham High Street to the lanes around Wickhambreaux, the WCA remains the operative rule; the 2024 regulations do not extend to those.
Question 1: is the hedge on agricultural land?
The 2024 regulations apply to hedgerows on land used for agriculture, and to hedgerows on adjoining land owned by the same owner. A qualifying hedgerow is at least 20 metres long (gaps of up to 20 metres count as part of it), or shorter but meeting another hedgerow at each end. They do not apply to hedges within or marking the boundary of a dwelling house's curtilage, so ordinary residential garden hedges are outside them.
The boundary is not always obvious on the CT3 round. A paddock attached to a house, a field used for grazing horses or keeping poultry, and land managed under a countryside stewardship agreement can all qualify as agricultural land. If your property includes land farmed or managed for agricultural purposes, even on a small or informal scale, the hedge at its edge is likely to be within scope. Where a property blends residential garden with agricultural paddock, the field-margin hedgerows on the agricultural portions are within the regime even if the garden hedge at the front of the house is not.
If No: the 2024 regulations do not apply to your hedge. The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 nesting-season protections continue to apply year-round if active nests are present.
If Yes: move to question 2.
Question 2: is the proposed cutting between 1 March and 31 August?
The regulations ban cutting or trimming qualifying hedgerows during this window, inclusive of both end dates. For most CT3 farmers this reinforces what responsible contractors have always observed: the September-to-February window is when agricultural hedge work is done. The hawthorn-heavy field boundaries that run between Preston and Elmstone, the mixed-species runs at the margins of the arable ground east toward Ash, and the old chalk boundary hedges above Adisham all fall into the safe September-to-February bracket for any management work.
The late-August harvest season creates particular pressure at the August 31 boundary. Contractors working around Staple and Nonington in late summer know that the oilseed rape and cereal fields that line the lanes can make it tempting to trim boundary hedges while machinery is already in the field. The legal date is 31 August, not the 28th or 25th: do not start before the first of September unless an exemption applies.
If No (September to February): you can cut. Proceed to question 4 on buffer strips.
If Yes (1 March to 31 August): move to question 3 to check exemptions.
Question 3: does an exemption apply?
The regulations provide a narrow set of exemptions to the seasonal cutting ban:
- Hedge laying and coppicing, 1 March to 30 April. Traditional hedge management that retains the root system and structure is permitted in early spring. This covers the pre-nesting window that experienced contractors use to renovate old hawthorn boundaries before birds have committed to nests. The WCA 1981 nest-check obligation still applies even with this exemption: a competent visual check is required before starting.
- Cutting in August to prepare ground for sowing oilseed rape or temporary grassland. Prior notification to the Rural Payments Agency is required; the exemption is not self-executing. On the CT3 round, this is most relevant to the larger arable holdings east of Ash and around the Nonington and Staple fields where autumn-sowing patterns drive an August-cutting window.
- Safety reasons. Cutting is allowed where the hedgerow overhangs a highway, road or public footpath and obstructs or endangers users, blocks the light or view from a public lamp, or is dead, diseased, damaged or insecurely rooted and likely to fall onto a highway or footpath. Cutting for human or animal health and safety, and to deal with a serious plant health, pest or weed problem, is also covered. Keep records.
- Statutory activities and written permission. Cutting that is reasonably necessary for an activity carried out under an enactment is covered, and the Regulator can give written permission for environmental, access, livestock or crop reasons. Hand-trimming a newly laid hedgerow within six months of laying is also allowed.
If an exemption applies: you can proceed, subject to any notification requirement and the continuing WCA 1981 nest-check obligation.
If no exemption applies: wait until 1 September.
Question 4: does the 2-metre buffer strip apply to your field?
On agricultural land, the 2024 regulations require you to keep green cover on a strip reaching 2 metres from the centre of the hedgerow, on each side. Within that strip you cannot cultivate or apply fertiliser or pesticide, with narrow exceptions such as spot treatment of listed invasive weeds. The aim is to protect the hedgerow root zone and base from cultivation damage and chemical drift.
The key exemption: fields of 2 hectares or smaller are entirely exempt from the buffer strip requirement. Many paddocks and smaller plots across the CT3 round fall within this limit. A single paddock at Staple of an acre and a half, or a small market-garden plot near Ickham: both are under 2 hectares and need no buffer strips under the 2024 rules.
For larger holdings, the buffer strip has practical implications on both soil types this round sits across. On the chalk ground near Adisham, where cultivation often runs close to hedge bases on shallow soils, the 2-metre strip will need managing for weeds without herbicide, which means periodic cutting or hand-pulling. On the Thanet Sand ground east toward Ash, where growth is faster, a buffer strip alongside a hedgerow can become rank in a single season if left entirely unmanaged: the strip must be uncultivated, but light cutting is generally acceptable to keep it from becoming a problem in its own right.
Field 2 hectares or smaller: buffer strip exempt.
Field larger than 2 hectares: buffer strip required, reaching 2 metres from the centre of the hedgerow on each side.
Question 5: do Section 211, TPO or Hedgerow Regulations 1997 add further constraints?
For hedgerows and trees inside the Wingham Conservation Area, the Section 211 notice requirement can apply on top of the 2024 regulations to any tree within or beside the hedge: a tree with a stem over 75mm at 1.5 metres needs six weeks' written notice to Dover District Council, regardless of season. Hedge plants themselves are normally not covered. The two regimes apply independently; satisfying the 2024 cutting rules does not excuse a Section 211 requirement. The Section 211 guide covers the notification process in full.
If any tree within or adjoining the hedgerow carries a Tree Preservation Order, that TPO applies on top of the 2024 management rules. Dover District Council handles TPOs; the RPA handles the 2024 regulations. Check the DDC interactive map before any significant hedge or tree work. Finally, the Hedgerow Regulations 1997 continue to govern the removal of qualifying countryside hedgerows: the 2024 rules apply to day-to-day management; the 1997 rules govern removal; both can apply to the same hedgerow simultaneously.
The RPA explainer
The Rural Payments Agency published a short video when the regulations came into force. It covers the same ground from the regulator's own perspective:
Video: Management of Hedgerows Regulations (2024), Rural Payments Agency YouTube channel.
Common questions
Does the 2024 hedgerow cutting ban apply to my garden hedge in Wingham village?
No, if the hedge forms the boundary or sits within the curtilage of a private dwelling. The 2024 regulations apply to hedgerows on land used for agriculture, not to hedges within or marking the boundary of a dwelling's curtilage. If you live in Wingham village or any CT3 residential address, your garden hedge is outside this regime. However, if your property includes a paddock, smallholding or field classed as agricultural land in planning terms, the 2024 rules may apply to hedgerows on that agricultural portion even where those fields adjoin your garden.
What exactly is the 2-metre buffer strip and does it apply to smaller fields?
On qualifying agricultural land, you must keep green cover on a strip reaching 2 metres from the centre of every hedgerow, on each side: no cultivation, fertiliser or pesticide within it. Fields of 2 hectares or smaller are completely exempt from the buffer strip requirement. Many paddocks and smaller plots around Staple, Elmstone and Preston fall within that exemption and need no buffer strip at all.
How does this relate to the Hedgerows Regulations 1997?
The two sets of rules cover different actions. The Hedgerow Regulations 1997 govern removal: a 42-day Hedgerow Removal Notice to Dover District Council is required before removing a qualifying countryside hedgerow. The 2024 regulations govern management: when you can cut and whether a buffer strip is required. Both apply to the same hedge simultaneously. Removing a countryside hedgerow still requires a DDC notice even if the hedge was being lawfully managed under the 2024 rules.
Are there exemptions to the March-to-August cutting ban?
Yes, but they are narrow. Hedge laying and coppicing between 1 March and 30 April is permitted, subject to WCA 1981 nest checks. Cutting in August for sowing oilseed rape or temporary grassland is permitted with prior written notice to the Regulator. Cutting for listed safety, plant health and statutory reasons is also allowed. Other cutting of a qualifying hedgerow between 1 March and 31 August is an offence.
Who enforces the 2024 regulations and what are the penalties?
The Rural Payments Agency, not Dover District Council. A breach is an offence punishable by a fine on summary conviction, and the Regulator can also use civil sanctions such as stop notices, compliance and restoration notices and variable monetary penalties of up to £250,000. Defra has said enforcement will be advice-led from the start, with stronger action only in the worst cases.
Need a contractor who knows the rules?
If you want a contractor who understands the 2024 regulations and will schedule agricultural hedge work within the September-to-February window, send a postcode and a description of the work to hello@winghamhedges.co.uk or call 07763 100 477.
Sources: The Management of Hedgerows (England) Regulations 2024 (legislation.gov.uk); Defra Farming blog, "Hedgerow regulations now law", 23 May 2024 (defrafarming.blog.gov.uk); Rural Payments Agency YouTube, "Management of Hedgerows Regulations (2024)", youtube.com/watch?v=rRofcKyZgEg; Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 s.1; Hedgerows Regulations 1997; GOV.UK, Countryside hedgerows: regulation and management. Statutory instrument 2024/680 checked 12 October 2026.