By Diarmaid Doherty
A Donegal councillor says the time has come for the council to review its hedge cutting policy to address once and for all the challenges facing motorists and pedestrians on many of our roads and footpaths at this time of the year.
Cllr Patrick McGowan said the growth of grass verges and hedges from spring time through to summer is leaving many roads and footpaths extremely difficult to manoeuvre.
It’s an annual problem which he insists could be addressed if the local authority reviewed the hedge cutting policy which was set up in 2003.
“It’s hard to believe that the current policy is now 20 years old so a review is long overdue,” he said.
“There’s no problem with our main roads which get plenty of funding for road improvements and lights and anything else that’s needed.
“But I’d say that 80 per cent of the population live along local, country or regional roads and at this time of the year, they are faced with the same old problems of hedges that are overgrown and causing a danger to traffic and pedestrians.”
Donegal County Council regularly reminds landowners and occupiers of land that they should take all reasonable steps to ensure that trees, hedges or other vegetation on their lands is not a hazard.
Under the Wildlife Act and in recognition of the value of habitats such as hedgerows for nesting birds, the cutting of trees and hedgerows is not permitted from March 1 to August 31, except for reasons of public health and safety.
“Everyone knows the roads that are a problem,” Cllr McGowan pointed out.
“It’s an issue that’s raised with me all the time. You could have a road with two lanes which can barely accommodate one lane of traffic at this time of the year because of the overgrowth of branches and briars.
“Then you have the situation where people using footpaths have to step out on the road because the hedges are overgrown.”
Cllr McGowan raised his concerns at a recent meeting of Donegal County Council. He was told that since the council’s hedge cutting policy was adopted, there has been considerable change in emphasis at national, regional and local level in relation to biodiversity.
“It is proposed that the Roads and Transportation Strategic Policy Committee review the adopted policy in light of this. Where particular locations are of concern, elected members are requested to liaise with their local Roads Area office in relation to identification of the appropriate solution.”
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