Public Notice: Hedge Cutting Season 2025–2026

Louth County Council would like to remind all landowners and occupiers that hedge cutting season is now underway.

To help keep our roads safe and accessible, we ask that roadside hedges and trees be properly maintained.

Under the Roads Act 1993 (Section 70), landowners and occupiers are legally responsible for ensuring that trees, hedges, shrubs, or other vegetation on their property do not pose a danger to road users or road workers.

We ask all landowners and occupiers to:

• Top and face roadside hedges and trees to prevent obstruction or hazards.
• Remove all debris from the road after cutting.
• Take reasonable care to ensure vegetation does not become a danger to the public.

Hedge cutting should be carried out between 1st September and 28th February, in line with the Wildlife Acts 1976 and 2000, which protect nesting birds and wildlife outside of this period. Failure to comply with these responsibilities may result in prosecution.

For further guidance:

• A Guide for Landowners to Managing Roadside Trees is available from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. This provides information on the warning signs of tree failure and guidance for managing roadside trees.
• The Tree Council of Ireland, Trees and the Law, provides detailed guidance in respect to landholders' responsibilities, including the process of obtaining a felling licence.

For more information, contact the Louth County Council Operations and Environment Delivery directorate on 042 933 5457.