Overgrown hedges to be tackled by community groups

A new scheme looks set to be adopted in Co Cork to tackle overgrown roadside hedges which are causing serious road safety concerns and a significant amount of damage, especially to buses and lorries.

To help combat this the county council is looking at setting up a similar scheme to one operating in Clare which will provide grants to community organisations for hedge-cutting.

A recent Environment Special Purposes Committee (SPC) meeting of the county council heard hauliers and Bus Éireann representatives saying that wing mirrors in particular are getting broken off high-sided vehicles and they can cost hundreds of euro to replace.

The meeting also heard that tourists are losing deposits with rental car companies, due to damage done to their vehicles by briars and tree limbs, particularly on the roads of West Cork.

Cllr Paul Hayes (SF), who sits on the SPC, said overgrown verges were also causing safety issues for walkers and cyclists, which is hampering the council’s drive to promote more tourism in the region.

The landowner is responsible for the proper upkeep of roadside hedges, but many are ignoring their obligation.

A senior council engineer said that if the local authority was to provide a countywide hedge-cutting service it would cost around €2m per year.

Cllr Hayes said the SPC decided that future action would include a safety awareness campaign in conjunction with the Road Safety Authority (RSA).

Farming representatives will be invited to the council’s West Cork Municipal District meeting in September to discuss the issue and a campaign will be launched for the public to report badly overgrown junctions to local area engineers or elected representatives.

Lobbying of the Government will also take place to reduce the no-cutting season.

“In West Cork, we will be initiating a (pilot) scheme similar to that in Co Clare. Community groups such as Tidy Towns committees will be able to apply to the Municipal District for funding towards the cost of cutting hedgerows,” Cllr Hayes said.

The hedge-cutting season is restricted by the Wildlife Acts to the period from September 1 to February 28 so any programme adopted would not come into place until this autumn at the earliest. However, it is more likely to be next year before it can be introduced.

The scheme in Co Clare, which came into operation in 2013, encourages a joint approach with communities and groups of local residents and landowners collaborating in the cutting of hedges and trees which need attention.

The grant, which can be up to €25 per km, only applies to community groups or organisations and not to individuals.