Landowner Responsibilities

Landowners, particularly those who have land adjoining or surrounding rights of way, roads or rivers have certain responsibilities. In some cases, Dorset Council have the right to carry out maintenance work on private land and recharge the landowner. It is therefore important to be aware of responsibilities and carry out regular maintenance as required to avoid unnecessary costs. Below are some sources of guidance available to landowners.

Tree and Hedge Maintenance

Landowners must keep their trees and hedges cut back away from roads. Dorset Council have specific guidance for this on their website. https://www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/countryside-coast-parks/countryside-management/tree-management/tree-management-in-dorset

The majority of the parish is in a conservation area and so permission is required for most tree work. See the Dorset Council website for further details. https://www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/countryside-coast-parks/countryside-management/tree-management/trees-in-conservation-areas

Rights of Way

Landowners have responsibilities to keep rights of way clear and both Dorset Council and the Parish Council have the power to take action when necessary. The guide below has useful information for landowners. Local residents are encouraged to use the online reporting tool (see link in the table below) to report problems on rights of way.

Watercourses

The Environment Agency have advice available regarding responsibilities and rules to follow for watercourses on or near your property, and permissions you need to do work around them. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/owning-a-watercourse