NOW THAT the bird nesting season is over – it’s a good time for land and property owners to maintain hedges and trees within their boundaries.
Hedges and trees which overgrow from private land onto roads or footways can cause a nuisance or danger to the travelling public.
Anglesey Council is urging all land and property owners to ensure that hedges and trees do not overgrow or interfere with the safe use of the highway by pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles. Land and property owners are also responsible for ensuring that dangerous trees, such as those infected with Ash dieback are removed. Ash dieback (gov.wales)
Highways portfolio holder, Councillor Dafydd Rhys Thomas, said, “All land and property owners have a duty of care to ensure that their hedges and trees do not pose a risk to road users or walkers using footways or pavements. Now is a great opportunity for land and property owners to maintain their boundary hedges and trees as the bird nesting season is over.”
“The County Council has powers to undertake the work required and recover reasonable expenses incurred from the land or property owner. We would, of course, prefer it if land and property owners undertake or arrange the work themselves.”
Overhanging branches or hedges which obstruct passage, visibility or impair the effectiveness of streetlights and signs should be lopped or trimmed back to a vertical line with the boundary of the property.
It is also the land and property owner’s responsibility to collect the cuttings and ensure that the highway is cleared upon completion of the works.
The Isle of Anglesey County Council may, if necessary, serve notice on land and property owners under Section 154 of the Highways Act 1980, requiring them to undertake maintenance to any vegetation that is interfering or endangering the safe passage of vehicles or pedestrians on the Highway. Failure to comply with a notice can result in the Council undertaking the work required and recover the expenses it has reasonably incurred from the land or property owner.
Hedges and trees which are overgrowing onto the highway can be reported to: [email protected]
