South Ribble’s Hedgehog Action Plan championing good local authority hedgerow management
South Ribble Council have announced their ‘Hedgehog Action Plan’ to and create and manage their hedgerows in a better way. By doing so they are hoping to provide a better habitat for our prickly (and all our other feathery, furry, slimy, many-legged, and chitinous friends) little friends.
The Hedgehog Action Plan outlines how the council will work to support habitats, create dedicated Hedgehog ‘corridors’, encourage pro-biodiversity development and to raise awareness of how everyone in the community can make changes to support hedgehogs and other wildlife.
As part of the action plan, the council will:
- Change maintenance schedules with the aim of keeping hedges dense by cutting once every three years and on rotation so that no more than one third of hedges are cut in any one year. This will only apply to hedgerows where additional growth will not block access or impact sightlines.
- Encourage growth at the base of hedges and ‘Gap-up’ hedges with additional planting and laying.
- Minimise the use of pesticides.
- Provide a means of ramped escape from steep sided features (ditches and ponds) and replace broken drain covers.
- Encourage the removal of barriers to the movement of species.
- Support the community to be more hedgehog conscious and to make positive changes to support hedgehogs in their area.
- Ensure that emerging Local Plan sets strong ambitious targets for improving biodiversity through development.
Keep up the good work South Ribble!