Municipal Road Hedge and Tree Pruning Rules for Safety and Compliance

If the owners and tenants of the land do not prune the hedges and trees lining the municipal roads, the Municipality will intervene. However, be warned that, in addition to paying the expenses, the non-compliant parties will be subject to a severe penalty. Moreover, the Highway Code itself stipulates, outside populated areas, the minimum distance at which planting—whether living hedges, wooden dead hedges, metal fences, barbed wire, or similar materials—must be placed from the road. Specifically, these should be at least one meter from the roadway boundary if they are up to one meter high, and three meters if they exceed one meter in height.

Plant Distance Requirements

Furthermore, planting trees must be at least six meters away from the road boundary, and in any case, no closer than the height of the trees themselves, provided they are not mature, if their height exceeds this measurement. The ordinance also states that within and outside populated areas, near curves or at-grade intersections, within a twenty-meter radius, hedges of any kind must not exceed one meter in height. These hedges must also not obstruct or reduce the field of view necessary to ensure traffic safety.

Safety Objectives

“The goal,,” explains Assessore Fabio Marinoni, “is to enhance safety for those traveling on less trafficked roads, whether for cycling excursions, mountain biking, or walks.”