Hedge cutting across Warwickshire is set to start this week as the bird nesting season comes to an end, Warwickshire County Council has announced.  

The council manages and cuts 275km of hedges including a number of safety critical sites.   

Many hedges along the public highway are not owned by the county council. If a private hedge is in need of some maintenance, the team will contact the landowner asking them to undertake the works.   

In Warwickshire, hedges are cut by a specialist contractor using tractor-mounted flail hedge cutters.   

Cllr Wallace Redford, portfolio holder for transport and highways said: "It's vital for us to ensure hedges don't impair access and visibility while at the same time we avoid sensitive times of year for plants and wildlife.

"However, residents and landowners are responsible for their own trees and hedges, particularly if they are overhanging the road or pavement.

"So, we'd like to remind people that now is a good time to prune because there is less foliage and birds are no longer nesting."   

If overgrown hedges are causing an obstruction, or visibility issues to a road, street sign or lighting, residents can report it to the county council here.