NEW laws to protect householders from high hedges could prove ineffective, because of high fees to call in the council.

Local authorities warned that upfront charges of £500 will deter many from lodging a formal complaint.

Councils issued the warning to Holyrood's Finance Committee, which is investigating back-bench SNP MSP Mark McDonald's proposed High Hedges Bill.

If approved, the move will give councils the power to chop down tall hedges judged to block light from neighbouring properties.

But in a bid to keep costs down, complainants will have to pay for officials to assess their case and conduct legal inquiries.

The bill suggests a fee of between £325 and £500, though councils will be allowed to set their own fees and some have said the proposed sums would not cover their costs.

Fees in England, where laws are already in place, range from £150 in Hartlepool to £600 in Windsor.

In a submission to MSPs, Dundee City Council said: "The council will need to charge an application fee that fully covers the cost of this work. This fee may well be unaffordable for many applicants."

South Lanarkshire Council said householders should be able to recoup some of their fee from the hedge owner if their case was upheld, as happens under the Irish system.

A council spokesman added: "While South Lanarkshire Council is in full agreement that the costs of carrying out the application should be paid for by a fee and not borne by the council, it is still of the opinion that the complainant will be financially disadvantaged."

MSPs will consider the financial implications of the High Hedges Bill tomorrow.

Of the councils which spoke out, most said the plans would add to their workload and costs.

Mr McDonald launched the bill earlier this year with backing from the Government and cam- paign group ScotHedge. Campaigner Derek Park told MSPs last week that disputes would "dissolve" if councils had the power to intervene.