David Meikle

A NEIGHBOURHOOD war of words over 50ft-high trees that has been on-going for at least 12 years is to be settled by civil servants.

Fed-up residents Gloria McIvor and Andy Paterson have taken their fight to the highest level after becoming embroiled in a dispute with their neighbour Adam Bernard, 40.

Mr Bernard’s £425,000 property, Springbank House, in East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, borders the homes of Mrs McIvor and Mr Paterson.

They claim his massive leylandii and ash trees have made their lives a misery and even seen them banning their children and grandchildren from playing in their back gardens over fears falling branches could injure them.

The neighbours had approached Mr Bernard when he bought the property four years ago.

But after dialogue failed to produce an amicable agreement they turned to council bosses using high hedge laws.

South Lanarkshire Council ordered Mr Bernard to hack down the leylandii trees to 6ft but spared the ash trees.

Now the dispute is to go before a Scottish Government reporter to end the stalemate.

Mrs McIvor, 63, and Mr Paterson, 49, have now appealed to the government in a bid to have the remaining trees lopped.

Mrs McIvor, a retired NHS worker, and her husband Jack, 62, said branches crashing into their property had forced them to ban their granddaughter from using the back garden to play in.

She added: “This has just been such a stressful experience for us.

“We moved into this great area and thought it would be great for grandchildren to have a garden to play in.

“But I don’t allow my granddaughter anywhere near it because I’m terrified of what could happen if one of those trees came down.

“I don’t even let her into the conservatory in case something happens because if one of those massive trees come down then it will crash right into the back of the house. We’d thought the council were going to say everything was to come down but we were devastated to read it was only the leylandii.

“I’ve even had bits of trees crashing down through my fence that were so heavy it took three people to lift, so it is pretty scary thinking about what could happen.”

Mr Paterson, who has never let his 12-year-old daughter play in his back garden, said: “This has been an absolute nightmare to try and deal with.

“We can hear his kids out in the garden playing while my daughter has never been able to go out in ours because of their trees.

“In the summer, the leaves hang right over the top of us because of the length of the branches and we just don’t get any light.

“We thought we were finally getting somewhere with the high hedge law but were shocked when the council said only the leylandii needed chopped.

“They say the other trees are part of woodland but hopefully the government can overcome the decision. We’re at our wits end.”

Mr Bernard, who is listed as a director of finance, recruitment and property businesses at Companies House, was unavailable for comment.

High hedge laws were designed to address disputes between neighbours. No date has been given for a ruling by the reporter.