Historic Audlem hedgerows protected from Gladman

If developers get the go-ahead to build 120 homes in Audlem they will have to ensure they don't damage historic hedgerows.

At least four hedges on land at Little Heath have been classed as 'important' in a survey by specialist consultants because they are more than 150 years old.

Hedgerow regulations in the Environment Act 1995 protect 'important' hedgerows in the countryside by controlling their removal through a system of notification.

An assessment of historic hedgerows on the site by CgMs Consulting on behalf of Gladman Developments Ltd. found that four boundary hedges at Little Heath fall within the regulations because they pre-date the earliest known Inclosure Act of 1896.

The hedgerows are those marking the western site boundary along Audlem Road and parts of the south-western, western and northern boundaries of the five acre site.

Research reveals the hedges have been marked on field maps pre-dating the Inclosure Acts including the Audlem Tithe map of 1842 and an Ordnance Survey map of 1875.

The age of a hedgerow is just one of several criteria used to class a hedgerow as 'important' in terms of the regulations.

Builders will need special permits to remove or alter the hedges if Gladman Developments gets approval for outline plans to build a housing estate on the site.

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