A group of disgruntled residents have become embroiled in a row over a tall hedge which they claim blocks sunlight from neighbouring gardens – leaving one man’s conservatory “frequently cold and dull to sit in”.
The dispute got so bitter that the Edinburgh civilians teamed up to trim the Leylandii trees themselves, leaving branches and clippings outside Barry Rice’s door – an act which left the hedge owner’s wife feeling “intimidated”.
A planning reporter had concluded the neighbours’ “reasonable enjoyment” of their gardens was “adversely affected” by the height of the garden feature – although Rice said it was “unreasonable for anyone to expect full sunshine all day long”.
It all came after David Linkie, Jeremy Jones and a third neighbour had reported Barry Rice’s hedge to the council, arguing it was “dangerous and expensive” to maintain, as it bordered their own gardens.
When no action was taken by Edinburgh Council, the trio appealed to the Scottish government, who intervened and ordered Mr Rice to reduce the height of his hedge from just under four metres to three metres.
Arguments made by the team of neighbours included that extra sunlight would “reduce the cost of heating” in Linkie’s rear rooms, while the added shade disturbed their attempts to “relax, socialise or exercise” in their “outdoor area”.
Rice has since argued the hedge does not “seriously impact” his neighbours as “maintenance required is only once or perhaps twice a year”.
The complainants have implied this is irrelevant, with Linkie claiming it was “extremely difficult and dangerous dangling six feet up extendable ladders with sharp equipment to trim the hedge on my side”.
Jeremy Jones also said it was “potentially costly to employ professional tree cutting services once/twice a year to maintain or for me to purchase necessary hedge trimming equipment to get the job done”.
Rice responded by saying: “Owning a garden requires all year round attention but doesn’t appear to have any serious impact on reasonable enjoyment, as the sound of children and adults enjoying their garden can be heard throughout the year.
“Everyone’s gardens suffer from shading at different times of the day and evening as the sun rotates. It is therefore unreasonable for anyone to expect full sunshine all day long.”
He added: “The six bags left on our kerbside for our disposal fitted into our brown garden waste bin and returned as requested.
“My wife felt it was unnecessary for two men to approach our door and speak to her when she was on her own, making her feel intimidated and claiming that it was our responsibility to dispose of the cuttings left by them.”
