Hedgerow campaigners set to see 45,000 miles of the countryside’s ‘green lungs’ restored! 

The chair of CPRE North East region today said he was proud of members who pushed the Government towards committing to a massive investment in England’s hedgerows.

CPRE, the Countryside Charity, (formerly the Campaign to Protect Rural England), launched a nationwide ‘40 by 50’ drive just over a year ago, hoping to win a commitment to having 40,000 miles of hedgerows across England by 2050.

And in the Government’s new Environmental Improvement Plan 2023, a commitment has now been made not just to 40,000 but 45,000 miles of hedgerows thriving across the country by 2050!

Richard Cowen, chair of CPRE North East, said: “We’re celebrating a big step forward for nature and climate as the government has finally announced an ambitious target of creating or restoring 30,000 miles of hedgerows by 2037, and 45,000-miles of hedgerows by 2050.

“It’s a landmark decision for hedgerows, and meeting the target goes some way to restoring the UK’s hedgerow network.

“It also puts farmers at the heart of plans to reconnect and re-establish the country’s largest nature reserve.

“This new hedgerow target is an incredible step forward because hedgerows are the unsung heroes of the countryside – the home of so much flora and fauna, and a vital part of the countryside’s green lungs..”

CPRE North East’s two branches – CPRE Northumberland and CPRE Durham – both took active roles in pushing the national campaign.

As well as highlighting the issue on social media, the two branches travelled to events held at the House of Commons and the House of Lords looking to lobby support in Westminster.

MPs like Liz Twist, (Blaydon) and Emma Lewell-Buck (South Shields) were among 82 Parliamentarians who signed up in support of the campaign.

CPRE Northumberland chair, who made the trip to London several times, said: “This is wonderful news for the North East and the wider national landscape..

“I’m delighted the Government has listened to our call and ensured that not only will the beautiful English hedgerow remain part of our national landscape but that its future will be protected and extended.

“It’s wonderful news for the environment.”

Commenting on the government’s announcment, Tom Fyans,CPRE’s interim chief executive, said: ‘This new hedgerow target is a step forward by the government and shows that the penny has finally dropped when it comes to the potential of hedgerows to tackle the climate and nature crises. We’ve been calling for a clear target to expand our hedgerow network for years nationally and locally and it’s fantastic that the government is now taking this forward.’

CPRE’s target was recommended by the independent Climate Change Committee and is equivalent to about 120,000 miles in Britain – halfway to the moon. 

Now they’ll be able to go to the moon and start on their way back! 

ThE Government’s new target, if approved, would see more than 4,000 miles of new and restored hedgerows created every year up to 2050.

Hedgerows have been a defining feature of the countryside for more than 1,000 years. They bring landscapes to life with beauty and character and provide tangible signs of the changing seasons, while giving a strong sense of continuity. 

Hedgerows provide a wealth of benefits: forage, shelter and shade for livestock; habitat for pollinators and pest predators; connecting habitats, shelter and food for wildlife, and protection for soil and carbon absorption.

But despite decades of interventions, many hedgerows are still in a degraded state, largely because of a lack of management. 

Planting rates under agri-environment schemes have been too low and slow to reverse the hedgerow losses of the last century.

Hopefully, that will now change completely.