Where road safety is not jeopardised, landowners and occupiers will be encouraged to undertake trimming preferably between January and mid March inclusive, to ensure that berries and nuts are available for feeding birds and other wildlife during the winter. Trimming should not take place during the main bird breeding-season, mid March to July inclusive, unless unavoidable. Where hedges are set back from the edge of the road and safety considerations allow, farmers and landowners should be encouraged to cut on a two or three year cycle, for the benefit of wildlife. If the side of the hedge adjacent to the road has to be cut every year for visibility, drainage or other reasons, consideration should be given to only cutting the top of the hedge once every two or three years.

A superficial inspection of trees is undertaken during highway safety inspections but this can only identify obvious defects.

The Council will undertake an 'expert' or inspection of trees affecting the highway on roads on a seven year rotational basis, (refer to the Managment of Roadside Verges in Devon for further information).  It is expected that private tree owners would wish to arrange for their own inspections. However, the details of any work that is considered necessary on a private tree from the Council's highway inspection will be forwarded to the owner requesting remedial action. If this is not forthcoming the notice and default procedure in the Act will be followed.