Petition · past parliament · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Ban hedge cutting and non-essential tree felling between March and August
Closed
4,131 signatures
What the petition asks
All hedgerow cutting or trimming and non-essential tree felling should be banned between March and August to give declining bird species a chance to breed undisturbed by human activity.
According to Defra figures, farmland birds have declined by 57% and woodland birds by 27% between 1970 and 2018. RSPB research shows 16 out of 20 garden birds are in decline.
Each spring, many people enter their gardens and decide a hedgerow needs cutting back or a shade-causing tree needs felling. Unfortunately, large swathes of the public are unaware that this activity is detrimental to birds. Neither the public nor tree surgeons should be cutting hedges or trees from March to August.
Each spring, many people enter their gardens and decide a hedgerow needs cutting back or a shade-causing tree needs felling. Unfortunately, large swathes of the public are unaware that this activity is detrimental to birds. Neither the public nor tree surgeons should be cutting hedges or trees from March to August.
Timeline
| 8 Apr 2022 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 22 Oct 2022 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
4,131
Status
Closed
Department
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Opened
8 Apr 2022
Closed
22 Oct 2022
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.