If you want to do some heather or gorse cutting in the Clwydian Range or Llantysilio mountains, you will first need to do the following.

• It is highly recommended for cutting to take place between October 1st and March 31st because of the risk of disturbance to ground nesting birds.
• It is best to use a tractor mounted flail, cutting the vegetation twice to break it up and stop it forming a mat and stifling future growth. If you don't have a flail, cutting with anything will work as long as a mat of vegetation is not left behind.
• Do not cut too large an area - 1 hectare maximum. Cutting larger areas will result in a loss of grazing as cut areas regenerate far slower than burns. Cutting smaller areas not only provide fresh growth for sheep, but also plenty of shelter close to fresh vegetation for ground nesting birds.
• Although it is not essential to write a management plan, it is best to follow the same guidelines as in the Burning Code. Cut your moorland on a 15 year rotation (maybe longer if the vegetation is slow to regenerate), so cut no more than 1/15th of your manageable vegetation each year.
• If the land is protected as either SSSI or SAC you will need consent from the Countryside Council for Wales before cutting. To find out if your land is protected in this way search the map on this link.
• Do not cut on or inside a Scheduled Ancient Monument (SAM) - damage can be caused to these often fragile monuments by vehicles. Always leave at least a 10m buffer around a SAM. To find out if your land is protected in this way go to this link, and use the link to Historic Wales at the bottom of the page.
• Try to avoid cutting at weekends when the mountains are at their busiest. Do not start to cut before sunrise or continue cutting after sunset.
• Be aware of the limitations of your vehicle, do not cut in places where you may put yourself at unnecessary risk. Always make sure someone knows where you are.
• Remember the legal implications.
  • If the land is SSSI or SAC, failure to give notice to the CCW can result in a fine. (Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000)
  • It is an offence (under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979) to cause damage to any Scheduled Ancient Monument. Prosecution may result in a substantial fine of even custodial sentence.
• download a printable copy of this guidance here  .

 Click here to go back to Land Managers homepage