Written question asked by Jim Cunningham (Labour) on Tuesday, 14 December 1999, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 21 December 1999. It was answered by Chris Mullin (Labour) on Tuesday, 21 December 1999 on behalf of the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions.

Dept of the Environment Transport and the Regions

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what his policy is on the control of hedgerows in residential areas; and if he will make a statement. - Inc ref to consultation paper "High hedges: possible solutions" and section 79 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (as proposed in the Control of Hedgerows in Residential Areas Bill).

Answer: Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what his policy is on the control of hedgerows in residential areas; and if he will make a statement. [103241] Mr. Mullin: We will be considering what more Government might usefully do to help solve the problems caused by nuisance hedges in the light of responses to the consultation paper "High hedges: possible solutions". The options identified there include both voluntary and statutory action. The consultation paper suggests, however, that adding residential hedges to the list of statutory nuisances in section 79 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (as proposed in the Control of Hedgerows in Residential Areas Bill) appears unlikely to be more effective than the existing statutory nuisance provisions in controlling residential hedges.

Secondary information