Dangerous Ditches/Hedges at roadside

Going Forward

Is there any effective way of asking council to trim back ditches? Email, phone?

Farmers dont seem bothered!

ba_barabus

Going Forward wrote: »

Farmers dont seem bothered!

It's not their problem and if they cut them and it causes an accident they're liable.

Council should be doing it and you should probably submit your problem in writing.

Noccy_Mondy

It's a problem everywhere. I just cut them myself with the hedge clippers. The council are sure to try to fob you off with the wildlife conservation "law"

ba_barabus

Noccy_Mondy wrote: »

It's a problem everywhere. I just cut them myself with the hedge clippers. The council are sure to try to fob you off with the wildlife conservation "law"

They are restricted about when they can cut them. they used to do it every year back up until 2005/6 but stopped to save money. They only cut them now on main roads on a somewhat regular basis. You just have to keep pestering to do it.

sogood

Many of the hedgerows around the country, are in fact "protected environments" and as such, can't be cut back, removed, damaged willy nilly.

Ordinarily, the local councils will only cut them at particular times of the year, not, for example, during nesting/ breeding periods in the Spring and Summer.

They are home to a micro environment, insects and berries etc. which provide food for birds and rodents, who in turn are food for larger predators, and so on. If you upset the food chain at the bottom, then it can collapse, from the bottom up.

Aside from that, money is tight, councils are strapped and so, some jobs are possibly being neglected. Lobby your local councillor/T.D. and see what happens.

I agree, it can be a nuisance, scratching your paintwork, not to mention obscuring road signs etc.

Noccy_Mondy

We hired in a private contractor there a few years ago, few of the neighbours got together and paid a few bob each. The Roscommon border is a few miles down the road, and i know it's a much smaller county than Mayo, but they cut their hedges all year around. Seen them last week infact!

Days 298

It's amazing that the RSA and Vardkar aren't all over this. Some roads visibility is impaired especially where pedestrians would walk. If it costs money it's not their problem.

jt65

sogood wrote: »

Many of the hedgerows around the country, are in fact "protected environments" and as such, can't be cut back, removed, damaged willy nilly.

Ordinarily, the local councils will only cut them at particular times of the year, not, for example, during nesting/ breeding periods in the Spring and Summer.

They are home to a micro environment, insects and berries etc. which provide food for birds and rodents, who in turn are food for larger predators, and so on. If you upset the food chain at the bottom, then it can collapse, from the bottom up.

Aside from that, money is tight, councils are strapped and so, some jobs are possibly being neglected. Lobby your local councillor/T.D. and see what happens.

I agree, it can be a nuisance, scratching your paintwork, not to mention obscuring road signs etc.

I am a farmer and pay a contractor roughly €1k per year for roadside hedge cutting

you are correct that some wildlife habitats exist and the hedge cutting season is 1st October to end of February

however if causing a threat to road users it is allowed to cut roadside hedges at any time of the year

Days 298

Surely anything that makes it harder to see pedestrians and makes cars drive in the middle of already narrow roads is a serious concern.

navara man

jt65 wrote: »

I am a farmer and pay a contractor roughly €1k per year for roadside hedge cutting

why

slimjimmc

ba_barabus wrote: »

It's not their problem and if they cut them and it causes an accident they're liable.

Council should be doing it and you should probably submit your problem in writing.

Seemingly it is very much their problem and not the council's.

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1993/en/act/pub/0014/print.html#sec70

(2) (a) The owner or occupier of land shall take all reasonable steps to ensure that a tree, shrub, hedge or other vegetation on the land is not a hazard or potential hazard to persons using a public road and that it does not obstruct or interfere with the safe use of a public road or the maintenance of a public road.

jt65

navara man wrote: »

why

we trim all the farm hedges so I'm hardly doing to leave roadside undone

roadside costs more as they employ 2 flagmen (who have to be insured) as the roads are narrow with many bends

Going Forward

jt65 wrote: »

we trim all the farm hedges so I'm hardly doing to leave roadside undone

roadside costs more as they employ 2 flagmen (who have to be insured) as the roads are narrow with many bends

Well done.
its a shame some more wouldn't look after their own hedges.

Grant payments should be conditional on keeping hedges and ditches kept in a neat and safe manner.

Days 298

Going Forward wrote: »

Well done.
its a shame some more wouldn't look after their own hedges.

Grant payments should be conditional on keeping hedges and ditches kept in a neat and safe manner.

I think grant payments say you must preserve wildlife corridors too.

hughjohn

I used to work for a hedgecutting contractor but quit because of the tirade of abuse that we got from irate motorists who were delayed by a few minutes on their journeys , while we made the roadsides a safer place .
Honestly you would not believe the rudeness of some people.

As othhers said , all hedges can be cut from september to end of february but roadsides can be done anytime if there is a visibilty issue.

Get onto your local council by phone and follow up with a letter detailing the road in question and they will generally send a letter to the landowners in question telling them to cut the hedges. I have seen plenty of these in my time. They usually threaten legal action if ignored.

And PLEASE give the hedgecutting men a break!! It is impossible to operate these machines at more than 3 km/hr.

Noccy_Mondy

Wait a minute, aren't the hedges the councils responsibility?, aren't the sides of the roads their property?

hughjohn

Noccy_Mondy wrote: »

Wait a minute, aren't the hedges the councils responsibility?, aren't the sides of the roads their property?

It is one of these weird typically Irish situations where if the hedges need trimming its the landowners property but if its to do with the road itself or drainage issues it suddenly becomes the councils property and you're not allowed interfere.
Once the councils ran out of funds it seemed a great idea to get the landowners to do it instead and threaten them with legal action if they don't.

In fairness a large portion of landowners trim annually but there is always some who don't give a toss.

Cantona's Collars

hughjohn wrote: »

It is one of these weird typically Irish situations where if the hedges need trimming its the landowners property but if its to do with the road itself or drainage issues it suddenly becomes the councils property and you're not allowed interfere.
Once the councils ran out of funds it seemed a great idea to get the landowners to do it instead and threaten them with legal action if they don't.

In fairness a large portion of landowners trim annually but there is always some who don't give a toss.

+1

I know council workers who are told which stretches of hedgerow to cut and that is it.They do approach landowners if ditches are causing a problem,in fairness most will tackle it but as you say there's always a few.
The biggest problem I've seen lately as I drive a lot on back roads is the amount of surface water lying on them.You can see where cuttings were made in the verge to release the water but these haven't been maintained meaning huge ponds of water on the road make motorists swerve to avoid them.Only last week there was a crew filling potholes but ignored the water lying on the road,2 minutes with the shovel while they were passing would have solved the problem but I suppose "that was another day's work".Seems initiative is frowned upon.