THE owner of a hedge which has grown as high as 15 metres in places over 30 years has lost his fight to win more time to cut it back.

Harry Melrose appealed to Scottish Ministers after he was issued with a high hedge notice by East Lothian Council calling for part of the hedge to be cut down to just 2.5 metres in three months and the rest brought down to six metres in 18 months.

Mr Melrose said the hedge acted as a windbreak and barrier for his rural hilltop cottage at West Morham, east of Haddington – but his neighbours claimed it blocked light from their home and garden and needed to be cut down.

In his appeal, Mr Melrose claimed the council had initially agreed to a five-year plan to stagger the chop amid concern that taking too much off at once would cause terminal damage to the hedge.

READ MORE: Hedge owner appeals for more time to reduce 15-metre-high boundary

He said the high hedge notice was "unreasonable".

However, following a site visit to the cottages, a Scottish Government reporter ruled that the high hedge, which he said was made up by a row of Leylandi trees, was impacting on the neighbours’ enjoyment of their home.

And he said that despite the cottages being surrounded by woodland, the impact of the line of Leylandi was too dominant.

READ MORE: Aberlady: Appeal to Scottish Ministers over neighbour's high hedge

He said: “While I note that the properties are in a rural location which is characterised by areas of woodland, I nevertheless found that the trees are a dominant feature of the rear space.

“I consider that this could have an adverse effect on the enjoyment of the eastern part of the garden ground of [the neighbours’] cottage.”

The reporter endorsed the high hedge notice issued by the council which requires part of the hedge to be reduced to 2.5 metres by the end of October and reduce the rest by February 2025.