Limerick landowners urged to maintain roadside vegetation

ENNIS, Ireland - Jan. 13, 2015 - PRLog -- Under Section 70 of the Roads Act 1993, landowners and occupiers of land are obliged to "take all reasonable care" to ensure that vegetation growing on their land does not become a danger to people using or working on Limerick’s network of public roads.

"Limerick City and County Council is the authority with the responsibility to ensure that our public roads are kept free of obstructions which include overgrown hedgerows and verges," explained Paul Crowe, Director of Services, Travel & Transportation.

"Following on from the stormy conditions of the past fortnight and in light of the significant damage caused during the storms of last winter, the Council would urge landowners and occupiers of land to carefully inspect all roadside vegetation located on their land," he added.

Mr. Crowe continued: "Examples of hazards might be dead or dying trees, ditches or hedges interfering with traffic, blocking footpaths, obscuring road signs or obscuring a view of the road ahead. Liability for damage or injury resulting from such hazards will rest with the householder, landowner and occupier of land."

Mr. Crowe pointed out that any works on roadside trees or hedges, particularly works carried out along busy public roads, should be adequately signposted with advance notification given to both Limerick City and County Council and An Garda Síochána.

"Road safety must be the priority during and after these works so we would appeal to people across Limerick to play their part in ensuring that our road network is kept free of hazards for the benefit of all road users," added Mr. Crowe.

Meanwhile, landowners and occupiers of land are being reminded Section 40 of the Wildlife Acts (1976, 2000) prohibits the cutting, grubbing, burning or otherwise destruction of any vegetation on uncultivated land between 1st March and 31st August.