Hedge from hell cost my health... and helped destroy my marriage
A HOMEOWNER claims a 40-foot high hedge looming over his property has ruined his daily life – even contributing to the breakup of his marriage.
Retired chemist Dr John Bolbot won a decree last year ordering his neighbour to chop down the enormous row of leylandii – but six weeks after the deadline, the trees are still in place.
The 64-year-old yesterday took his case to the Scottish parliament, telling MSPs legislation introduced in 2014 to deal with high hedges ‘has no teeth’.
Last night, he revealed how the monster conifers have had an impact on virtually every part of his life.
Dr Bolbot said: ‘I am now divorced and I think the stress caused by the hedge was part of the reason behind that.
‘This is an illegal hedge and yet the council is still pussyfooting around, asking my neighbour when he might get round to complying with the law.
‘It seems that nobody in authority is brave enough to take action on behalf of those citizens who do everything by the book, play by the rules and pay their council tax on time.’
Dr Bolbot bought his threebedroomed detached home in Alva, Clackmannanshire, in 2006.
The notoriously fast-growing trees lining the boundary of the £250,000 property were only 12ft tall then, but now blot out views of the Ochil Hills to the rear.
All pleas to neighbour Robert Casey to cut the hedge were ignored and he sought a High Hedge Order under the new laws last July, which set an eight-month deadline for the leylandii to be chopped back.
However, despite remedial work, 70 per cent of the 150ft row of trees remain intact.
Starved of sunshine, Dr Bolbot’s back garden has become sterile waste ground
A Scots pine, also part of the hedge, has begun destroying his boundary wall and during high winds he will not sleep upstairs as he fears being crushed if a tree comes down.
The hedge is also estimated to have wiped tens of thousands of pounds from the value of his property.
Dr Bolbot said: ‘I’m a retired man and I can’t even enjoy my garden. It’s awful and very depressing.
‘If councils are not prepared to enforce the law, then nobody will have any respect for it and the problem of high hedges will carry on as before.’
Next-door neighbour Frank Schyvens said: ‘This hedge affects everyone in the close. I’ve seen John’s health deteriorate because of it. We all can’t wait for the day when this hedge is removed.’
Property landlord Mr Casey, 57, insisted that the hedge would soon be gone. He said: ‘A few years ago, I took down 80 trees overlooking other neighbours’ homes but Mrs Bolbot said she didn’t want ones overlooking their property to come down so I left them.
‘But her husband has not been very neighbourly since then and began sending letters instead of talking face to face. It’s a ridiculous way to act.
‘There has been a delay due to family bereavement and the contractors have taken time to do the work. But the work has started, more trees will be coming down this weekend and the rest in the near future.’
Dr Bolbot gave evidence to the communities committee,
‘This is an illegal hedge’ ‘It’s awful and very depressing’
which was warned legislation to curb hedges that grow to more than 6ft 6in is not working.
Campaigners revealed councils are charging up to £500 for an application under the High Hedges Act.
Pam McDougall, of campaign group Scothedge, said: ‘The fees are too expensive. Why should we pay for justice?’
Nationalist MSP Kenneth Gibson said it was clear some homeowners had been ‘let down’ by local authorities, highlighting a case in which an order was overturned after the hedge owner thinned out the trees without reducing their height.
He said: ‘Clearly that is utterly against the spirit of the law.’
Clackmannanshire Council was unavailable for comment.