Privet hedge lichen - all ok?

Hi - we have a golden privet hedge which on one side has some gaps. Before I start to fill them in with new plants, I wanted to check if anything other than lack of love has contributed to this gap.

I've checked & am pretty sure that we don't have the dreaded Honey Fungus i.e. no black boot laces at the plant bases or white film covering under the bark.

But I have noticed that there is a fair amount of what I think is just lichen on the hedge - quite deep / pervasive in places. It's crumbly & brushes off.

Can anyone tell me if this a problem I need to sort out first? And if so, any ideas how? Or is it safe to leave & continue to re-plant parts of the hedge. Picture attached.

Cheers!

Simon

 

Well lichen is no problem at all. Probably getting the light from the gaps. A symptom of clean air.