The Future For Hedgerow Protection In England And Wales

Hedgerows represent an important habitat in lowland Britain. Their, loss is a concern for conservationists and policy makers. This loss continues despite the introduction of the Hedgerow Regulations in 1997, which only protect a minority of hedgerows. The survey method specified by the Regulations has been criticised as very time consuming and idiosyncratic. This paper examines three different methods of hedgerow evaluation that can be used by planners and developers in assessing individual development proposals: The Hedgerow Regulations; the National Vegetation Classification; and, the Field Studies Council method. The Field Studies Council method was found to have several advantages over the others including ease of use in the field, accepting that all hedges have some wildlife value, and giving a graded value for the hedge that can be used by policy makers.