Midlothian mum told to take down fence which 'protects from condoms and syringes'

A mum who put a high fence around her family’s garden to stop used syringes, glass bottles and condoms being thrown into it has been ordered to take it down.

Natalie Anderson said she replaced wire fencing outside her corner home in Bilston, Midlothian, because the unwanted items were being thrown into the garden where her child and dogs play.

But when she put a retrospective planning application in for the fence, she was told part of it was too high and would have to be halved in size.

Natalie lodged an appeal against the decision with Scottish Ministers but says her first attempt was lost and the second rejected because it should have gone to the council’s own local review body.

However, it is now past the deadline to appeal to the council as well.

She said: “It is ridiculous, the fence was raised to stop things being thrown in my garden and it looks much better than the old fencing or putting a hedge in, which would be allowed.

“It doesn’t block any views on the road and is keeping my family safe. I even offered to put plants in front of it, but that was rejected.”

When she tried to appeal to the review body she was told she could not because she had taken too long.

She said: “I didn’t see anything in the letter telling me the fence had to be reduced in size, which told me where I should appeal to. Now the council are saying because I went to the wrong place first I have taken too long and had to appeal within three months of the decision.”

No objections were lodged against the fence, which is just under a metre high along the front of the house, rising to 1.8 metres at the side of the property.

And in the planners own report they acknowledge that their senior road manager had no objections telling them that “while the higher fence will result in a general reduction in visibility in the area, driver visibility at the junction will still be adequate and the proposal does not raise any major road safety
issues.”

However planning officers disagreed telling the applicant the fence must be reduced in height to 1.2 metres saying “it would appear less stark and be more in keeping with the surrounding area and have less of an impact on road safety.”

The decision letter approving the fence, but demanding the higher parts are reduced in height, included appeal information in small print notes on its final page.