Removing ditches

Classy 399

Wat are the rules about removing ditches

PoorFarmer

Whatever lenght of hedging/ditch you remove you need to replace somewhere else I was told by my advisor. I think hedging will do as the replacement

Nekarsulm

Classy 399 wrote: »

Wat are the rules about removing ditches

If you are claiming any EU /Dept Ag. scheme money at all, you cannot remove hedges.
You can in certain cirmstances and with prior permission remove a hedgebut you must replant new hedges with the same length as removed.

Hard Knocks

Nekarsulm wrote: »

If you are claiming any EU /Dept Ag. scheme money at all, you cannot remove hedges.
You can in certain cirmstances and with prior permission remove a hedgebut you must replant new hedges with the same length as removed.

Do you need permission if the area is less than 5ha?

Nekarsulm

Hard Knocks wrote: »

Do you need permission if the area is less than 5ha?

That I don't know.

Base price

Classy 399 wrote: »

Wat are the rules about removing ditches

https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/farmerschemespayments/crosscompliance/landscapefeatures/

Buford T. Justice XIX

Base price wrote: »

https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/farmerschemespayments/crosscompliance/landscapefeatures/

The most important part of that article and where lads get caught out often...

Where, in exceptional circumstances, a hedgerow must be removed as for example to facilitate farmyard expansion, a replacement hedge of similar length must be planted at a suitable location on the holding in advance of the removal of the existing hedgerow. Where a Landscape Feature is required to be removed it must be replaced in advance like for like of similar length

So 10m of hedge being take out must be replaced by 10m of new hedging before the old ditch is removed.

arctictree

What if you get planning to remove a ditch as part of a new access laneway? Does the planning override these rules?

Parishlad

My question would be, what constitutes a 'hedgerow' ? I have an area of about 12 acres which is divided up into about 5 paddocks. The original bounds for each of these paddocks were stone walls which are still there, somewhere , but have been badly overgrown with briars and an odd whitethorn. I really want to clear all the crap away and leave the stone walls but would this mean that I was removing a hedgerow I wonder?

Buford T. Justice XIX

Parishlad wrote: »

My question would be, what constitutes a 'hedgerow' ? I have an area of about 12 acres which is divided up into about 5 paddocks. The original bounds for each of these paddocks were stone walls which are still there, somewhere , but have been badly overgrown with briars and an odd whitethorn. I really want to clear all the crap away and leave the stone walls but would this mean that I was removing a hedgerow I wonder?

My understanding of the rules are the stone walls are the boundaries of the fields and the briars are encroaching onto grazing land and should be taken off the claimed area by now and can be added onto eligible areas after they are taken out as far as the walls.


I'd check with an advisor and see what you are able to do and when you can do it first. If the area isn't claimed on, it may have to be left till the open period for cutting?


It's a minefield, tbh, you would want to find out for sure before you start doing anything with it.

Parishlad

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

My understanding of the rules are the stone walls are the boundaries of the fields and the briars are encroaching onto grazing land and should be taken off the claimed area by now and can be added onto eligible areas after they are taken out as far as the walls.


I'd check with an advisor and see what you are able to do and when you can do it first. If the area isn't claimed on, it may have to be left till the open period for cutting?


It's a minefield, tbh, you would want to find out for sure before you start doing anything with it.

Yeah, it is a minefield and can be very much open to how one person interprets it versus another person. Thing is I ssuppose, there is only one interpretation that counts and that wouldn't be mine!

Dakota Dan

I thought that you can remove 500m without putting up a new hedge?

Base price

arctictree wrote: »

What if you get planning to remove a ditch as part of a new access laneway? Does the planning override these rules?

According to the attached link from 2014 - the removal of a short length of hedge to create a new field entrance or to widen an existing entrance is exempted.

Dakota Dan wrote: »

I thought that you can remove 500m without putting up a new hedge?

As per attached link from 2014.

"However, under the Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture) Regulations 2011, where the length of field boundary to be removed is above 500 metres, or where the area of lands to be restructured by the removal of field boundaries is above 5 hectares, permission must be sought from the Department of Agriculture. If a hedgerow is removed without a replacement, penalties may apply to your Single Payment, Disadvantaged Area Scheme and REPS 4 payment, in addition to a replacement hedge being required."
Otherwise for areas less than 5ha or 500m in length, prior permission is not required but a replacement hedge must be planted elsewhere on the farm prior to the existing hedge removal.
https://www.independent.ie/regionals/kerryman/lifestyle/manage-hedgerows-now-to-benefit-wildlife-30575992.html