Glasgow resident told to remove fence for obstructing drivers

An ‘unsafe’ garden fence which blocks views of oncoming traffic is facing the chop as Glasgow City Council takes action.

The owner of the property offered to reduce the height and make angle changes, but that was knocked back by councillors, who said the changes would not be enough to make it “safe.”

Neighbours are worried about the fence obstructing their views from their vehicles as they leave their driveway in the Summerston area.

The existing structure at a house on the corner of Blackhill Drive is already the subject of enforcement action from the council.

An attempt to get the fence altered to make it comply with planning rules failed yesterday during a planning meeting.

Councillors refused planning permission for the existing 2.2 metre fence to be cut by 51 cm and an angle adjustment made to improve traffic sight lines.

Speaking at yesterday’s planning local review committee, councillor Ken Andrew asked if the change in the angle of the fence would give “appropriate sight lines?”

After hearing it wouldn’t, councillor Andrew added that the “application can not be made safe.”

He pointed out that the location of the fence at the corner poses road safety concerns.

Explaining why he decided to refuse the application, he said: “I would be very reluctant to grant this if our traffic colleagues are telling us that what we have currently and what is being proposed as an amendment to what has been constructed is still unsafe and we should have as advised a new planning application.”

Backing his decision, councillor Eva Bolander added that road safety is “very important.”

Council officials had previously turned down the fence alteration plan from applicant Amit Sachdeva over a number of concerns, including that it was poorly designed and ” fails to respect the quality and character of the local built environment.”

The applicant’s appeal said the proposed fence is 1.69m in height which is permitted as it is under two metres and “the visibility splays chamfer at 30 degrees and are acceptable and are “designed for the 20 mile an hour speed.”

The committee refused the application following the appeal.