Three decade hedge rage dispute finally at an end as ministers wade in to neighbours' row

The community dispute began after Catriona MacGregor planted the Leylandii hedge in 1983. Initially keeping its height to around eight feet, the conflict escalated around 20 years ago when she stopped cutting it, leaving around 40 trees to grow to 40 feet.

It meant neighbours saw sunlight to their properties severely restricted, with one having to keep their lights on even in broad sunlight. Despite efforts to enlist the support of politicians, and even an attempt at mediation in 2009, a stalemate was reached.

The residents turned to the new High Hedges Act, brought in last year in an effort to solve 'hedge rage' disputes, leading to 10 separate notices being issued by Stirling Council ordering that it be scaled back to various heights.

Both Miss MacGregor, who did not want to cut the trees at all, and her neighbours who felt the council did not go enough, appealed to ministers.

Miss MacGregor, who claimed that she has suffered hypertension and angina for several years as a result of worrying about her hedge, said that it acted as an essential nesting area for local birds, offered privacy and that it was not a hedge at all but a shelter belt against wind.

However a Scottish Government reporter, Mike Croft, has ordered that part of the hedge is scaled back to just over six feet and the rest should reach no more than around nine feet, despite accepting that it may kill the plants altogether.

One resident whose property borders Miss MacGregor's said: "It's been going on for 20 or 30 years, everyone has been up in arms about it, every household was united. But until the new act came into force, there was nothing we could do about it. We lose three or four hours of sunlight a day, the ground gets very arid and it grows nothing.

"It's a bit ridiculous it's had to come to this, but she's refused to talk about it. We just hope now that this all has come to an end, but I'll believe it when I see it. There's no way she'll pay to have it done, it'll have to come down to Stirling Council."

The case over the single hedge has accounted for more than a quarter of appeals across Scotland to ministers since its new law came into force last April. It is the second high-profile hedge dispute that Stirling Council has had to deal with, following a separate 35 year saga in nearby Balfron also involving towering leylandii hedges.

In the lengthy ruling, Mr Croft, who quashed the council's previous notices, said there were other trees for birds to nest in and that Miss MacGregor's expectations over privacy and wind protection were "excessive".

He added: "I am content to impose those cuts even though the effect on the health of the trees may be severe, even to the extent, perhaps, of killing some or all of them.

"It may be that the hedge owner's interests will be best served by removing the hedge completely and, if she wishes, planting a replacement hedge that accords with any legal requirements. But I leave that as a matter for her."

A spokeswoman for the Scottish Government said she was unable to provide an estimate for how much the case had cost the taxpayer. Miss MacGregor has until October to comply, or face Stirling Council coming on to her property, chopping the trees down and issuing her with the bill.

The spokeswoman added: "The decision notice for the high hedge owner relates to 10 appeals, and so deals with the council and the high hedge owner's response to the appeal, as well as the points made by 10 separate high hedge neighbours, accounting for the 12,000+ word decision notice."

Miss MacGregor could not be contacted for comment.