Wilson disappointed at delay in tackling Nuisance Hedges
South Antrim Ulster Unionist MLA Jim Wilson, who has been campaigning vociferously for legislation to control the heights to which hedges on neighbouring properties are allowed to grow, says he is disappointed that the necessary steps may not be taken until 2007.
“I first raised the matter of high hedges back in 2000 when I asked the Minister of the Environment during oral questions in the Assembly Chamber if he would introduce legislation similar to that being considered in England and Wales to place height restrictions on the growing of Leylandii trees on private property,” says South Antrim Ulster Unionist MLA, Jim Wilson.
“Since then I have continued to lobby Ministers and have engaged the support of party colleagues at Westminster to help pursue the matter.
“The Department subsequently completed a public consultation in October 2005 to assess the scale of the high hedge problem and has recently published a summary of the responses to that consultation on the Planning Service website.
The Department says it accepts, on the basis of that consultation, that legislation is necessary but this cannot be brought forward due to a number of pressures on the legislative programme. It is now unlikely that consultation on the draft legislation will take place prior to the end of 2007.
“On the one hand I am pleased that the public have responded to the consultation exercise and proved that there is a widespread problem in this regard right across the province - a total of 641 responses were received - 95% of these were from members of the public. It is frustrating however that we now face further delays in having the necessary legislation in place,” said Mr Wilson.