Hedge-cutting deadline needs to change - Mayo councillors urge

A EUROPEAN directive around hedge trimming needs to change in the interests of safety on the roads, with a call to move the closed season date from September 1 to the beginning of August.

The change in the directive has been sought by Mayo Independent Councillor Patsy O'Brien who says he has never received as many calls from members of the public about the need for hedges and verges to be cut back.

He cited a case in south Mayo where an elderly person has to get a neighbour to assist them in getting out onto the road safely. And in another case, an accident on a local road had occurred because of the lack of vision.

They were bound by a European directive, he told the monthly meeting of Mayo County Council, which was all about looking after the birds and the bees. There was nothing in it about safety.

And he rallied his colleagues to write to the minister, Oireachtas members and MEPs for the law to be changed.

Some roads were built for the horse and cart, Councillor O'Brien commented, and where they may be eight-foot wide, they are reduced to six or less due to overgrown verges.

“People are paying Local Property Tax and that is what they have to put up with,” he stated.

Support was forthcoming from his colleagues, with Councillor Chris Maxwell suggesting the council adopt a policy whereby hedges, trees and grass at junctions are cut back for about 30 metres in length and to a five-metre depth, which would alleviate some of the problems.

There are junctions where you cannot see the stop or speed signs due to overgrowth, he said, adding that health and safety is a priority.

The issue also got an airing this week at a roads committee meeting where cathaoirleach Councillor Damien Ryan described the September 1 deadline as 'conservative', with August 1 being a more realistic date for hedge-cutting to resume, a view his colleagues supported.

Councillor Richard Finn also suggested there should be regulations around the distance at which people can plant trees along roads.

In a written reply to his motion, Councillor O'Brien was told the council undertakes targeted trimming to address specific road safety concerns. Given the extent of the road network and the large number of local and regional road junctions across the county, a blanket approach to cutting vegetation at every junction during the summer months would not be practical or appropriate.

The approach is risk-based, prioritising locations where vegetation is impacting visibility and where there is evidence of an increased road safety risk.

Elected members and members of the public are encouraged to bring any junctions where visibility is affected to the attention of their local municipal district office.

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