Calls for landowners to be reminded of hedge cutting obligations

By Philip Rooney, The Sligo Champion

At last Monday’s November meeting of Sligo County Council the issue of hedge cutting was raised by Cllr Liam Brennan with the Riverstown representative calling on the local authority to embark on an advertising campaign to highlight the importance of landowners making sure hedges and trees are maintained so as not to be overhanging on public roads.

Cllr Brennan stressed the need for landowners and occupiers to be made aware of their responsibility to maintain hedges and trees along public roads to enhance public safety.

Cllr Gerard Mullaney was skeptical regarding the merits of the motion saying, “I think it will have limited success. The only way to get them to do it is if there is a penalty on a single farm payment. Farmers are saying to me they have a grant in Leitrim to do it.”

Cllr Paul Taylor offered the opinion that the problem is more than just landowners unwilling to maintain roadside hedges and trees.

"Most landowners are fairly compliant. There are parcels of land near a road that the ownership is unknown. You have to remember, if you have a good year, by the time you are able to cut them you have a huge problem. You could wait a month to six weeks this time of year for a contractor. We cannot cut in the months with the greatest growth and I think that is not working.

Cllr Dara Mulvey expressed the view that, “A grant scheme for payments is the carrot approach.” He added, “I don’t want to see landowners getting letters,” before commenting, “There seems to be more thoughts about the safety of birds than people.”

Article Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.