Parliament Workbench
Data: Official Report to 12 Nov 2026

Official Report · Committee

Current Petitions

Plants (Complaints) (PE984)

Tuesday 2 October 2007 Public Petitions Committee Petitions 6 contributions · 4 speakers

Speakers

Choose an MSP to read only their contributions

The record

6 contributions
Frank McAveety Lab The Convener · Glasgow Shettleston
link

The next petition is PE984 by Dr Colin Watson, on behalf of Scothedge, which calls on the Scottish Parliament to introduce legislation to provide local authorities with the power to deal with complaints about vigorous growing trees, hedges, vines and other plants. We have a letter of 22 September from the petitioner and several unsolicited letters have been sent to the committee to call for action to be taken. Do we have strong views on how to proceed? Does Robin Harper have strong views as a Green member?

Robin Harper Green Lothians
link

I backed Scott Barrie's bill. The suggestion of using the antisocial behaviour strategy is interesting and worth considering, because blocking the sun from a neighbour's garden is extremely antisocial.Would the Government like to issue guidance to local authorities and to follow up what guidance, if any, local authorities give on the care and maintenance of hedges on public and private land?

Claire Baker Lab Mid Scotland and Fife
link

I understand that the UK Government has taken steps to address the issue. Could we write to it to find out how successful those measures have been? I think that steps were taken as part of addressing antisocial behaviour. If the clerks could look into that, that would be appreciated.

Christine Grahame SNP South of Scotland
link

I think that UK legislation on high hedges has been passed—it was mentioned when attempts were made to amend the Planning etc (Scotland) Bill to deal with the issue. I stayed to say that I understand that the Minister for Community Safety, Fergus Ewing, is prepared to consider legislation on the matter. I do not remember whether I was told about that in an e-mail or a parliamentary answer. It might be useful to ask the minister to clarify whether the issue is being investigated with a view to producing legislation, which I think is being considered.

Frank McAveety Lab The Convener · Glasgow Shettleston
link

That is helpful. I thank members for those suggestions. We will pursue the petition through the suggested measures. Okay?Members indicated agreement.

In this meeting

Everything on 2 Oct 2007 →
  1. Scottish Parliament Public Petitions Committee Tuesday 2 October 2007 Petitions · 1
  2. Interests Procedure · 3
  3. New Petitions Petitions · 3
  4. New Petitions Petitions · 52
  5. New Petitions Petitions · 62
  6. New Petitions Petitions · 6
  7. New Petitions Petitions · 6
  8. New Petitions Petitions · 13
  9. New Petitions Petitions · 9
  10. New Petitions Petitions · 7
  11. New Petitions Petitions · 6
  12. Current Petitions Petitions · 4
  13. Current Petitions Petitions · 4
  14. Current Petitions Petitions · 9
  15. Current Petitions Petitions · 10
  16. Current Petitions Petitions · 11
  17. Current Petitions Petitions · 3
  18. Current Petitions Petitions · 16
  19. Current Petitions Petitions · 6
  20. Current Petitions Petitions · 7

The type of each item (debate, statement, questions, members’ business and so on) and the times shown are worked out by this site from headings, the chair’s opening words and the Official Report’s running timestamps. They are not the Parliament’s own classification. Text: the Scottish Parliament Official Report.