Serial offenders who refuse to cut their hedges despite multiple notifications will be pursued

Serial offenders who refuse to cut their hedges despite multiple notifications will be pursued by Leitrim County Council, it was revealed at a recent meeting.

Cllr Gary Prior has asked what measures can be taken with regard to landowners, including farmers and forestry owners, who fail to cut back hedges along public roads, where it poses a safety risk to both pedestrians and motorists.

He also asked Leitrim County Council to clarify what enforcement powers or supports are available to ensure road safety is maintained in these circumstances.

He said: "Does the council actually go out and cut the hedges and pursue the landowner or forestry owners for the cost of cutting the hedges? It's frustrating at this time of year again with the majority of people keeping their hedges tidy and cut and then you see a kilometre of hedge that's grown wild. It pushes cars out further as well as pedestrians."

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The response stated that the under the Roads Act, Leitrim County Council can issue a hedge/tree cutting notice to the land owner requesting that they carry out works and after a period of inaction, the local authority can carry out the works and pursue the land owner for these costs through the legal system. 

District engineer, Emma Donohoe said regarding the notices, "most people do act on them and then we'd send a follow-up letter if necessary."

Cllr Prior said that "if there are 300 letters being sent out annually there is a serious problem."

Director of services, David Minton said that "enforcement in relation to road safety is critical. No local authority wants to take people to court for hedge cutting but there are a number of serial offenders around the county and a lot of correspondence being ignored and I think we need to be seen to enforce the legal powers we have."

Cllr Brendan Barry supported the motion saying that "where you have a stretch of road where one small area wasn't being done, the scheme gave some funding to those cutting their hedges every year, to cut that area too. Now the council is very particular in making sure every landowner signs up to the scheme and that's not always possible."

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He added: "The good is taken out of it by having to get that signature and stopping the worst places from being cut. If there are serial offenders and the Hedge Cutting Grant is stopping the work from being carried out, maybe that could be looked at."

Cllr Paddy O'Rourke agreed adding that "people's interpretation of hedge cutting can vary; some go out with a flail and cut the tops or as I call it 'tickle the briars' and call that hedge cutting."

He said serious accident was caused when a driver was forced to drive out across the white line due and "the oncoming traffic took to the grass and the grass and the truck and timber ended up in the river and the man nearly drowned; I was the third vehicle behind him and it happened because of the overgrowth."

He suggested a pilot scheme be carried out on a stretch of road "to actually demonstrate to people what hedge cutting is and it does involve a saw and significant costs due to astronomical insurance."

Cllr O'Rourke said the Leitrim Hedge Cutting grant needs to be "better focused on actual cutting because one you cut a canopy of buses with a saw, they are done" and said "it will lead to a reduction in road maintenance because there are roads that never thaw out when there's frost or never dry due to these overhanging canopies."

He added: "You cross the border and you won't have branches tapping the windscreen in your vehicle so what can be the difference?"

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Cllr Prior noted that the North was just three days without power after Storm Éowy. "Why? Because there are no trees hanging over wires and we have a serious issue, especially in this locality. We had 4,000 people looking for aid from the Humanitarian Assistance Scheme (HAS)."

Cllr Enda McGloin suggested a review of the Hedge Cutting Grant and this was seconded by Cllr Prior who requested information on how often the council intervenes and how many landowners are pursued for costs provided at the next meeting.